News: Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten will drop out of the Hawkeye State’s Senate race and endorse fellow state Rep. Josh Turek.
Turek entered the increasingly crowded Democratic race to challenge Republican Sen. Joni Ernst last week. Like Scholten, Turek represents western Iowa. A Paralympian in wheelchair basketball, Turek is considered a favorite among Senate Democratic leaders.
Scholten, a baseball player who twice ran for the House, will appear with Turek at an event Monday in Council Bluffs, Iowa.
“I thought a prairie populist athlete from Western Iowa would be the best candidate to win in the general election,” Scholten said in a statement. “I still do, but instead of me, I have complete confidence that Josh Turek can take this on.”
This is big news for Democrats who are eager to try to oust Ernst — if she runs for reelection. Yet there is a large field of Democrats vying for the nomination, including state Sen. Zach Wahls and veteran Nathan Sage.
Scholten nearly ousted then-Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa) in 2018, gaining a national profile in the process. Scholten serves in the state legislature with Turek.
