Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson Announces Senate Run in Iowa
On Tuesday, Rep. Ashley Hinson from Iowa declared her candidacy for the vacant Senate seat following the retirement of longtime Republican Senator Joni Ernst.
Hinson is being recognized as a potential rising star within the GOP, having secured significant endorsements from Senate Majority Leader John Thune and Tim Scott, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, along with support from numerous House and Senate Republican leaders.
Though Hinson briefly pursued a Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism at the University of Southern California, her roots are firmly in Iowa, where she grew up. After college, she worked as a local journalist, married Matthew Arenholz, and became a mother to two children.
Her political career began alongside President Donald Trump in 2016 when she successfully ran for the Iowa state House of Representatives’ 67th district. She moved to federal office after winning a U.S. House seat in 2020, representing Iowa’s 1st district until redistricting placed her in the 2nd district in 2023. Now, she’s setting her sights on the U.S. Senate.
The backing from the GOP is substantial, which should aid her campaign in a strongly Republican state like Iowa. Nonetheless, gaining support from the MAGA base is critical, and her track record is a bit of a mixed bag, which might raise questions among voters.
Heritage Action for America, which ranks congressional members based on their voting behavior, assigns Hinson a conservative score of 59 percent for the 118th Congress, completing her overall lifetime grade at 72 percent. This low score for the last session is notable, especially since Iowa generally leans more Republican by about 6 percentage points compared to the national average in presidential elections, as noted by the Cook Partisan Voting Index.
Hinson’s voting history includes opposition to H.R. 7888, which sought to implement significant reforms to FISA and the Section 702 program. She supported funding for massive spending bills that directed billions to Ukraine and endorsed the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act, which contained provisions for federal abortion funding, sex-reassignment surgeries for military personnel, and the promotion of Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion initiatives in the military.
During an early challenge in February 2021, she supported former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney for the House Republican Conference Chair position and later backed New York Rep. Elise Stefanik when Cheney was ousted in May 2021.
Iowa Senate candidate Hinson has acknowledged her previous use of Planned Parenthood services for women’s healthcare, stating that “the government should stay out of women’s health care decisions.” However, despite her personal experience, her pro-life voting record is robust. Hinson has consistently voted to defund Planned Parenthood federally and introduced legislation like the Providing for Life Act in 2022, which aimed to support alternatives such as pregnancy centers. She co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act and also endorsed Iowa’s six-week abortion ban.
When faced with criticism from her Democratic opponent, former state Senator Liz Mathis, concerning her pro-life stance, Hinson firmly replied, “I’m unapologetically pro-life and I’ll keep working to save as many lives as possible.”
Hinson has often criticized the Biden administration’s border policies, making it a central theme in her reelection campaign. Her votes repeatedly align with Republican objectives aimed at strengthening border security, limiting illegal immigration, and enforcing stricter immigration penalties.
To truly implement President Trump’s policies, simply securing a Republican majority isn’t sufficient. It’s crucial to have GOP members ready to advocate for these policies amidst challenging legislative scenarios. While Hinson’s past brings a few uncertainties, her current voting decisions suggest she is at least inclined to support Trump’s agenda.
