Iowa Senate race ends GOP hold

Iowa voters have shifted power in the state's second U.S. Senate district. Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson to take the seat previously held by Sen. Joni Ernst. The Associated Press called the race for Turek, ending more than a decade of Republican control over both Iowa Senate seats.

Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, replaced Ernst, who announced last fall that she would not seek a third term. The seat was considered one of the most competitive in the nation. Turek described himself as a prairie populist during his campaign. He focused his messaging on healthcare reform and criticized Hinson for supporting the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. That legislation reduces national Medicaid spending by nearly $1 trillion. Turek also noted that Hinson's personal wealth grew during her time in Washington.

The campaign was expensive. Federal spending data shows the candidates raised more than $30 million combined. Outside groups added more than $100 million to the total, according to Open Secrets. In the final quarter of the election, Turek raised significantly more than Hinson. Hinson had been viewed as a rising star in Iowa politics and a front-runner after receiving President Trump's endorsement. Trump had carried the state by a 13-point margin in the 2024 election.

Both candidates positioned themselves as bipartisan lawmakers to appeal to uncommitted voters. They increased their attacks on each other as polls showed a close race. The state's agricultural sector faced pressure from Trump's tariffs and higher diesel prices linked to the war in Iran. Some Republicans in other races distanced themselves from the president as his approval ratings fell. By summer, the race was viewed as a toss-up.

Turek is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in basketball. He uses a wheelchair due to spina bifida, a condition he attributes to his father's exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Before winning the general election, Turek beat former state Senate minority leader Zach Wahls for the Democratic nomination in June.

Hinson served in Congress before running for the Senate. She was a former TV journalist who had built a reputation in Iowa politics. The loss concludes her bid to replace Ernst in the upper chamber. The win gives Democrats one of the two seats that Republicans have held for over ten years.