Hinson and Turek Battle for Toss-Up Iowa Senate Seat

Republican Representative Ashley Hinson and Democratic State Representative Josh Turek are competing for an open U.S. Senate seat in Iowa, a race categorized as a toss-up by The Cook Political Report. President Donald Trump is campaigning in the state to support Hinson, though she has distanced herself from the president regarding his deal to waive sanctions against Vladimir Putin.

Turek, a Paralympic gold medalist endorsed by former President Barack Obama, is running as a common-sense prairie populist. He has secured a fundraising lead with over $20.1 million compared to Hinson's $14.1 million. The candidates are clashing over the One Big Beautiful Bill; Hinson argues the legislation reduces taxes and prevents fraud, while Turek claims it threatens rural healthcare by slashing Medicaid funding.

Economic discontent over rising gas and fertilizer costs has pushed both candidates to emphasize bipartisanship. Hinson credits Trump's tariff policies for attracting a $15 billion Mesabi Metallic steel mill to the state, while Turek remains critical of the tariffs. On foreign policy, Turek advocates for ending the U.S. military conflict in Iran and suspending fuel taxes. Hinson has also called for an end to the war with Iran, though Turek has criticized her for previously voting to continue the conflict.