Obama endorses Iowa Democrat Josh Turek in campaign video

Former President Barack Obama endorsed Iowa Democratic nominee Josh Turek for the U.S. Senate in a roughly two-minute campaign video posted Wednesday by Turek’s campaign, according to The Hill. The video features Obama making the endorsement directly to viewers, while also incorporating a “game” segment with Turek’s campaign framing it as a basketball shoot-around variation called “IOWA,” based on the description of the ad.

The campaign video presents the endorsement alongside personal background about Turek, a state representative, including that he was born with spina bifida and has used that experience in public life. The video’s format blends the endorsement message with an on-camera challenge, designed to pair the endorsement with what the campaign describes as a familiar street-style game.

Turek, identified in the report as Iowa’s Democratic nominee for Senate, is the officeholder in the ad. The Hill’s description says Turek and Obama participate in the in-video game together, with the endorsement delivered amid the set piece rather than as a standalone testimonial.

The Hill’s coverage does not cite any federal or state filing, ballot status determination, or official election administration action connected to the endorsement. Instead, it treats the video as a campaign mobilization event, aimed at building name recognition and attention for the nominee ahead of the contest.

The endorsement comes amid a period when Iowa’s statewide races typically draw national attention. Obama’s participation adds a familiar Democratic figure to the nominee’s public messaging and underscores that the race is being contested with both local and national political visibility.

Turek’s campaign has used video advertising and social-media distribution for the endorsement message, The Hill reported, with the ad shared on YouTube. The report does not provide additional details on competing endorsements, fundraising impacts, or any measurable change in polling as a result of the release.

With the video now public, the next observable step will be how Iowa voters and other campaigns respond through their own advertising, media coverage, and ground operations, particularly as the candidate’s disability biography and the included game segment become part of the broader public narrative around Turek’s candidacy.