For Council Bluffs family, Josh Turek's Senate win is deeply personal

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Council Bluffs neighbor Carly Sorensen has spina bifida — the same condition that future U.S. Senator Josh Turek has. For her, his election to the U.S. Senate feels personal.

KMTV first interviewed the Sorensen family nearly three years ago about Turek's impact on disability visibility.

Carly Sorensen, 24, has known Turek pretty much her whole life. When she was a child, her family met Turek through the larger spina bifida support system in Council Bluffs.

"Josh is a really great guy, He's fun. He's fun to be around," Carly said.

Her mom, Megan Sorensen, says that given the close race, she tried not to get her hopes up for their friend.

"And then you start realizing it probably is going to happen. It's indescribable," Megan said.

They talked with the lawmaker often in 2023 and 2024, when Turek tried to get Medicaid reform through the Iowa legislature.

"What Josh in the US Senate does, is gives people with disabilities a seat — a real seat — at the table, especially at a time like now when healthcare is in crisis," Megan said.

Carly says the example Turek sets for the disability community, especially those with spina bifida, could be game changing.

"I'm just hoping these other people know that just because somebody has a disability like Josh, doesn't mean they can't do these bigger and better things, like winning a spot in the Senate," Carly said.

"Even though we might disagree on certain policy positions that he has, I know he's going to be willing to listen, I know he's going to hear every perspective," Megan said.

For now, the family is simply excited to have a friend and neighbor — with so many shared experiences — head to Washington, D.C., on behalf of Iowa.

Carly and her mom also wanted to share a sentiment from the wider spina bifida community: "We hope this moment leads to greater understanding of Spina Bifida, higher expectations, and more opportunities for people with disabilities to participate and lead."

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.