Nathan Sage endorses Rep. Josh Turek’s campaign for U.S. Senate

Democrat Nathan Sage endorsed state Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs, on Monday to become the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s 2026 U.S. Senate race.

The endorsement comes a day after Sage suspended his campaign for the nomination.

Sage said in a statement Monday he chose Turek because he “comes from the same kind of working class family I do, and it’s time we have more folks like us in Washington.”

“I got into this race because I am tired of hearing the same broken promises from career politicians who are more interested in cozying up to corporate power than in making people’s lives better,” Sage said. “Washington is made up of 98% generational wealth, only 2% come from the working class, and we wonder why they don’t know the first thing about the real struggles of putting food on the table or affording rent next month – that needs to change.”

The Democratic primary for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat narrowed Sunday when Sage announced he would end his campaign, in large part because of fundraising difficulties. Turek and Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, are now the two major candidates competing for the nomination.

Both Wahls and Turek thanked Sage in statements Sunday for his contributions to the race, saying they agreed with Sage’s emphasis on the need to focus on making life more affordable for working class Iowans.

In a statement on the endorsement, Turek said he and Sage share the experience of growing up in a working class family in Iowa, and said he looks forward to working with the former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director to work toward winning the U.S. Senate seat in 2026.

“Iowans are lucky to have a fighter like Nathan Sage,” Turek said. “Nathan and I share a deep commitment to putting the working class first, because we know what it’s like to struggle and we know that for too long, Washington has not worked for the middle class and our workers. Together, we are building the coalition that will keep Ashley Hinson out of the U.S. Senate and elect a true fighter for the working class. I am deeply honored to have his support.”

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson is the frontrunner to win the 2026 GOP nomination for the seat. She joined the race shortly after U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst announced she would not seek reelection, and has gained endorsements from Ernst, President Donald Trump, and several other prominent Republicans in Congress and Iowa.

Among Democrats, Sage is not the only former primary contender to endorse Turek after the left the race — state Rep. J.D. Scholten also backed his House colleague when he ended his campaign in August 2025.

Wahl announces endorsement

On Monday, Wahls announced the endorsement of Pete D’Alessandro, a former Iowa congressional candidate and senior advisor for U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign.

“As someone who has watched Zach’s journey since he stood up to fight for his family in 2011, he is exactly what Iowa Democrats need right now — he is someone who has never been afraid to challenge the status quo and fight for working people with a bold economic vision,” D’Alessandro said in a statement. “… He’s proven he can win in competitive counties, has represented rural and small town Iowa, and he understands that we can’t keep running the same playbook and expect different results. Zach’s focus on taking on corporate monopolies and putting power back in the hands of Iowa families is how Democrats can win again in places we’ve been losing for far too long.”