Iowa Senate race 2026: Ashley Hinson vs. Josh Turek

The basics

Iowans vote Nov. 3 for the seat held by Republican Joni Ernst, who announced in September 2025 that she would not seek a third term. In the June 2 primaries, Hinson won the Republican nomination with about 74% of the vote, and Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls with about 63%. Libertarian Thomas Laehn is also on the ballot. It is Iowa's first open Senate race held alongside an open governor's race since 1968. The candidates debated on Iowa PBS on Oct. 7 and again in Des Moines on Oct. 13. Political scientists quoted by Newsweek were split on who did better, and one said the debates were unlikely to change the race's fundamentals.

The candidates

Ashley Hinson (R) represents northeast Iowa in the U.S. House and is a former television news anchor. She has President Donald Trump's endorsement, and the Iowa Farm Bureau named her a "Friend of Agriculture." She has been endorsed by the union for Border Patrol agents and the National Federation of Independent Business.

Josh Turek (D) is a state representative from Council Bluffs and a former Paralympic wheelchair basketball player. Former President Barack Obama endorsed him in July. His campaign says more than 60 Republicans have endorsed him, and he has the backing of a firefighters group and the largest federal employee union.

Where the race stands

Polls are split. Emerson College (Oct. 5–6, 650 likely voters, ±3.8) had Hinson 47%, Turek 45%. YouGov (Oct. 6–12, 2,245 likely voters, ±3.1) had Turek 47%, Hinson 46%, and Marist (Oct. 8–11) had Turek 48%, Hinson 45%. STTPN's average of six recent independent polls is Hinson 45.7%, Turek 45.5%, effectively a tie.

Cook, Inside Elections and Sabato's Crystal Ball all rate the race a Toss-up. Turek had raised about $24.3 million through Oct. 14, compared with about $14.1 million for Hinson, according to the FEC. Outside spending, including money from Elon Musk, has topped $137 million, The Des Moines Register reported.

The issues

Tariffs and the farm economy

Turek argues that tariff power belongs mainly to Congress, not the president, and says Hinson's support for Trump's trade measures has hurt Iowa farmers. Asked whether she would back limits on presidential tariff authority, Hinson said she would want to review the legislation first. She criticized the administration's purchase of Russian diesel, an issue that matters to farmers, Newsweek reported.

Health care and Social Security

Turek has pledged to protect Social Security and Medicare and has called for lifting the income cap on Social Security taxes to keep the program solvent. Hinson says Turek would follow Democratic leaders in Washington and has campaigned with Republican senators on tax cuts for tips and overtime.

Data centers, immigration and costs

Cost of living, tariffs, health care, agriculture and AI data centers were the main subjects of the candidates' final debate, The Daily Iowan reported. Hinson calls border security "the defining issue" of 2024 and backs the administration's enforcement. Turek has said transgender athletes who were born male should not compete in women's sports and that athletic governing bodies, not states, should set the rules.

Controversies

Hinson and Republican groups have attacked Turek over missed votes in the Iowa House. Turek says he missed them while campaigning. Hinson argues that officials should be judged on whether they show up for work. Turek accuses Hinson of backing policies that benefit large corporations and wealthy donors, and Democrats have highlighted support for her from pipeline executive Bruce Rastetter. A Republican super PAC put $20 million behind Hinson in September.