00:03Good evening, Iowa.
00:08Iowa sure does love an underdog, and we have done it tonight.
00:17After 10 months traveling this state and hundreds of events meeting with Iowans in every corner of the state,
00:22I am proud to say that we have won this primary.
00:28My name is Josh Turek, and I am honored to be your nominee to be the next United States Senator
00:35from Iowa.
00:40This campaign has always been about having a senator from Iowa fighting for the people of Iowa,
00:45not for the billionaires of the large corporations.
00:48This campaign has been about fighting for the middle class, working families, rural communities,
00:53small family farms, and working with anyone to address rising costs, stagnant incomes, and out-of-control corruption in D
01:00.C.
01:01Iowans all over this state have heard our message and felt hope that we can change this state and change
01:07this country.
01:08Tonight is proof of that.
01:14I want to congratulate Zach Walls on running a strong campaign.
01:18He and I just spoke on the phone.
01:23Zach has been an exceptional representative for his district and a true public servant for the people of Iowa.
01:28I am grateful for this primary.
01:30It has made me a stronger candidate.
01:33To Zach's supporters, I know I was not your first choice.
01:36But I ask each and every one of you to join our campaign to push for change.
01:41Together we are going to build an Iowa that people move to, not away from.
01:48And my travels through the state, wherever I go, I hear the same things.
01:52Iowans are hurting.
01:54Families are struggling just to keep food on the table and a roof above their heads.
01:58Farmers are living in constant fear of foreclosure.
02:01We are in a senseless Middle East war that is driving up cash prices here at home.
02:05Our rural communities are disappearing.
02:08Hospitals and schools are closing here.
02:10Our public schools are falling behind.
02:12Iowa is now nearly dead last for economic growth, personal income growth, OBGYNs, mental health providers.
02:19We have closed 250 more health care clinics than we've opened in the last 15 years.
02:24We have a cancer crisis, a water quality crisis.
02:28This is not the Iowa that I grew up in.
02:30This is not the state that we all love.
02:33But I am feeling hope here in Iowa for the first time in a very long time.
02:43And this is because Iowans know that we need change.
02:48The status quo is not working.
02:50We need a fighter for the people, not for the billionaires, large corporations, and political donors.
02:55And this is our chance to change this state.
02:59My story is truly the American dream.
03:02In no other country on earth could someone born into a working class family from Council Bless Iowa,
03:07who went to the Goodwill, shared clothes, had the wrong color lunch ticket,
03:12who was born with my disability of spina bifida due to my father's exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam,
03:17who had 21 surgeons before the age of 12, be able to represent the United States in four Paralympic Games
03:23and bring home two gold medals and represent their community in the legislature.
03:27Only in America is that possible.
03:29And I am running for the United States Senate to protect that American dream for future generations.
03:42I got into politics just four years ago because while working in healthcare,
03:46I saw firsthand how the privatization of Medicaid was leading to a 1,000% increase in denials and delays
03:53for people with conditions like muscular dystrophy and Lou Gehrig's disease.
03:56It was fundamentally wrong and I decided to do something about it.
03:59So I ran in red western Iowa to represent my hometown in the Iowa legislature.
04:05I wanted to be a voice for the voiceless, for the Iowans who cannot afford a lobbyist.
04:09I won that first race by dragging my wheelchair upstairs every single day to talk to voters,
04:17regardless of party next to their name.
04:19Neighbor by neighbor, Iowan by Iowan, I won them over.
04:23I won that first race by just six votes.
04:26So never doubt that your vote matters.
04:28It does and it can be all of the difference.
04:31I won that race because there's more that unites us than divides us.
04:35They trusted I knew what they were going through because I had lived it myself.
04:41I've had to fight my whole life.
04:43And this is what is needed in D.C.
04:46People who have gone through real struggle, who know what it's like to not have enough,
04:51who know what a gallon of gas costs, who have had to put groceries on a credit card.
04:55We have enough millionaires in D.C. looking out for billionaires.
04:59We need real people in Washington who have felt the consequences of a broken system
05:04because when you have gone through real struggle, you will have a different level of empathy and a different level
05:09of fight.
05:09And this is what we need in D.C.
05:11Fighters for the people.
05:12And that is what I will be in the United States Senate.
05:22Not someone like Ashley Hanson, who was voted to take health care away from 110,000 Iowans just to give
05:28tax breaks to billionaires.
05:29She voted to make health care more expensive, so 119,000 Iowans saw their health care premiums double and even
05:36triple.
05:37She backed cuts to veterans' health care.
05:39She voted four times in favor of the tariffs that have decimated our farmers.
05:44She supported raising the age for Social Security.
05:46She even sponsored a total abortion ban, even as 93% of Iowans say it goes too far.
05:54Ashley Henson is a multimillionaire who has increased her wealth by up to 10 times since she got to Congress
05:59and refused to support a ban on members of Congress and their families from owning and trading stock.
06:05She has taken over $3.6 million in corporate PAC money.
06:09She does not represent Iowa and does not represent our values.
06:15And tonight, Iowa, we have had enough.
06:26So my promise to you, I am going to the United States Senate to fight for a livable wage.
06:31To drive private equity out of housing and health care.
06:34To fight for affordable and accessible health care and prescription drugs for all Americans.
06:39Because I believe that health care is a human right.
06:46To make it so doctors decide care, not insurance companies.
06:50So people like my sister are never told again,
06:53Sorry, you can't get a PET scan.
06:55You don't have enough cancer yet.
06:57To fight for women's reproductive freedom.
06:59To fight for our public schools because I believe public money belongs in public schools.
07:21To address the cancer crisis that we're having in this state.
07:24The water quality crisis that we have in this state.
07:26Because every single Iowan deserves drinkable water.
07:29And to have billionaires pay their fair share.
07:33To fight for campaign finance reform and transparency.
07:37To fight to get dark money out of politics.
07:39Because we can have oligarchy or we can have democracy.
07:42But we cannot have both.
07:43And enough is enough.
07:48I'll be fighting for term limits.
07:50Banning members of Congress and their families from owning and trading stock.
07:53And I'll mandate that every single member of Congress holds at least one annual town hall.
07:58Because legislators should be accountable to their constituents.
08:04All of this is what I'm going to the United States Senate.
08:07To fight for all of you.
08:08Because I will be a senator for all Iowans.
08:11Whether you voted for me today or not.
08:14Whether you support me in November or not.
08:16I will fight for you.
08:17All of you.
08:19No matter what.
08:24I want to thank everyone that has supported me.
08:26All of you.
08:27To my wife.
08:29To my family.
08:31My friends.
08:33Thank you for the support.
08:34And thank you for all of believing in me.
08:37To my staff.
08:38To our volunteers.
08:40From the bottom of my heart.
08:41To each and every person that knocked the door.
08:44Made a phone call.
08:46Donated money.
08:47Put up a sign.
08:48And most importantly entrusted me with your vote.
08:51Genuinely.
08:53For 30 years.
08:55This state was represented by Tom Harkin.
08:57The father of the American with Disabilities Act.
09:03He was a true prairie populace.
09:06That fought for the people of Iowa.
09:08This is our chance here in Iowa.
09:10To once again have a senator.
09:12That is going to fight for the people.
09:13If you are tired of this rigged system.
09:16Only looking out for billionaires.
09:18And leaving the rest of us behind.
09:20Then join us.
09:21Whether you are a Republican.
09:23An independent.
09:23Or a Democrat.
09:25There is room here for you in our campaign.
09:28Together.
09:29We can win this race.
09:30And together.
09:31We can change this state.
09:33And change this country.
09:40My name is Josh Turek.
09:42And I am running to be your next United States Senator from Iowa.
09:45Join our campaign.
09:46And let's push for change here.
09:48We can change this state.
09:49And change this country.
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