Pete Buttigieg endorses Josh Turek in Iowa's Democratic US Senate race

Former U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg is endorsing state Rep. Josh Turek in Iowa's Democratic U.S. Senate primary.

Buttigieg ran for president in 2020, narrowly winning the most delegates in the Iowa Caucuses that year before serving in President Joe Biden's administration. He is considered a potential 2028 White House hopeful.

"We made history in Iowa in 2020 because our campaign went everywhere," Buttigieg said in a statement. "We connected with people in rural towns and the largest cities, focused on the issues that affect everyday life and brought Democrats, independents and even Republicans into the fold. Josh Turek has taken that same proven approach to his campaign, and that's why I know he will be successful. I believe Iowa can make history again in 2026 by sending Josh to the U.S. Senate."

Turek, of Council Bluffs, faces state Sen. Zach Wahls, D-Coralville, in the Democratic primary.

Both candidates are seeking to be the first Democrat to win a U.S. Senate race in Iowa since 2008.

Buttigieg is the latest big name to back Turek, following former U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, who represented Iowa in the Senate for 30 years.

"Iowa is on the map this cycle and we have a real chance to win back Tom Harkin's seat and take back the U.S. Senate," Buttigieg said in a video message. "And I believe the best candidate to do that is Josh Turek. I've gotten to know Josh and he brings not only a powerful personal story, but also a deep understanding of what working families go through when Washington stops working for them."

The endorsement comes on the first day of early voting in Iowa and as Turek embarks on a 23-stop "Pushing for Change" get out the vote tour leading up to the June 2 primary.

Turek said he is "deeply honored" to have Buttigieg's support.

"His unique ability to connect with Iowans who feel forgotten and left behind is exactly why he won the caucuses in 2020, and it's the same approach that will help us win Senator Harkin's seat back," Turek said in a statement. "We are building a coalition that recognizes there is much more that connects us than divides us. That broad coalition of Iowans, fueled by a common sense prairie populist agenda, will allow us to defeat Ashley Hinson and send a real fighter for working-class Iowans to the U.S. Senate."

The winner of the Democratic primary will face the winner of a two-person Republican primary between U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and former state Sen. Jim Carlin. Hinson is considered the heavy favorite, with a large fundraising lead and the endorsement of President Donald Trump.

Stephen Gruber-Miller is the Capitol bureau chief for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached by email at [email protected], by phone at 515-284-8169 or on X at @sgrubermiller.