Former President Barack Obama has endorsed Democratic Iowa state representative Josh Turek in his campaign for the US Senate. The endorsement brings a prominent national Democrat into a closely watched contest against a Trump-backed Republican House member, potentially raising Turek’s profile and helping his fundraising and campaign outreach.

Obama announced his support in a video message, telling Iowa voters that the decision was now in their hands and urging them to send Turek to the Senate. Turek is a Democratic state legislator, while the article frames the race as a contest between rival party coalitions led by former presidents Obama and Donald Trump.