Democratic Iowa Senate candidate Josh Turek has frequently drawn on his own life story during his campaign, from growing up with spina bifida to becoming a Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. But his wife, Jarolin Turek, and her experience as an immigrant have also become relevant to the candidate's political identity as immigration remains a major issue ahead of the November election.
Turek is the Democrat nominee for Iowa's open U.S. Senate seat. The Federal Election Commission lists him as a Democrat candidate for the seat, while Iowa's official general-election candidate list shows him facing Republican Ashley Hinson and Libertarian Thomas Laehn on November 3.
Who Is Jarolin Turek?
Jarolin Turek, is an immigrant from the Dominican Republic who is now a U.S. citizen and works in health care, according to Turek's official Senate campaign biography. The couple live in Council Bluffs, Iowa, where Josh was born and raised.
Jarolin's connection to Turek stretches back to his career as a professional wheelchair basketball player in Europe. Turek spent 15 years playing professionally there before entering politics, according to his official biography with the Iowa Legislature.
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Turek's official Team USA profile says that he played professionally in Europe and represented the United States at four Paralympic Games, winning gold medals in 2016 and 2020 and bronze in 2012.
Jarolin and her husband have also described their home as culturally diverse. A 2023 biography published by The Harkin Institute at Drake University said that Jarolin was an immigrant and that the couple had a "bilingual, multi-cultural household."
Jarolin's background has, however, surfaced directly in her husband's political messaging during the 2026 campaign.
Turek used his family's circumstances to argue that immigration laws should be enforced before criticizing the federal government's approach. "We can recognize we need immigration laws, especially for violent criminals," he said, but argued that the federal government had gone too far in the way it was carrying out enforcement.
Why Jarolin Turek's Background Could Matter in November
While Turek has criticized aspects of the federal government's immigration enforcement, he’s also calling for stronger border security. In an August campaign advert, he described the current immigration system as "broken". He said , “I’ll work with anyone to fix [the southern border], including President Trump, to secure the border, stop the flow of drugs into Iowa.”
In January, Turek described his wife as an "Afro-Latina immigrant" while responding to immigration enforcement activity in Minnesota. He said the issue was "deeply personal" to him, adding that his mother-in-law was in the United States on a visa and didn’t speak English, saying that “families like mine are living in fear of the government.”
Immigration could therefore provide a point of contrast with Republican opponent Ashley Hinson, who has also focused on immigration and border security in Congress. In 2023, Hinson introduced the Southern Border Transparency Act, which sought to require federal authorities to publish additional information about people seeking entry at the southern border.
Recent polling suggests the race remains extremely close. The RealClearPolitics average as of October 15 puts Turek at 46.7 percent and Hinson at 45.8 percent, giving the Democrat a lead of less than one percentage point.
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For Turek, Jarolin's background gives the immigration debate a direct connection to his own family as he seeks to present himself as supportive of border security while opposing enforcement practices he considers excessive.
Newsweek has contacted Turek’s campaign for comment.
Note: This article has been amended. A previous version stated that Mrs Turek hailed from Spain.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Paul Donnelley.