Dem Senate hopeful pocketed massive taxpayer-funded cash while skipping hundreds of votes

FIRST ON FOX: Josh Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, a state legislator and Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, has taken over $20,000 in per diem payments while missing more than half of his 2026 votes, records reveal. From Jan. 12, 2026, through May 3, he missed 261 of the chamber’s votes, accounting for nearly 60% of his votes. The absences, some of which were clustered around campaign events and spanned several high-profile bills, suggest Turek has struggled to balance hi