Democrat Josh Turek is projected to win Iowa’s open U.S. Senate seat, defeating Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and flipping a seat held by the GOP. The result comes as Republicans try to maintain their majority in the chamber.
The candidates were competing to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. Turek said his campaign had spent 448 days traveling across Iowa, visiting all 99 counties and making the case for what he called a better future for the state.
It is the first time since 2008 that a Democrat has won the Senate seat. The victory is also a significant pickup in a state Donald Trump carried by more than 13 points in 2024.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune had called Hinson’s race essential to keeping Republicans in control. Hinson conceded to Turek and congratulated him on what she described as a hard-fought campaign.
“Josh and I, to put it mildly, disagree on a lot,” Hinson told supporters. “But tonight I hope that we can agree on this, that the campaign is behind us, and the work of serving the people of Iowa remains ahead.”
She urged both sides to set politics aside and focus on problems facing Iowa families and farmers. Hinson also said veterans, young people, students and millions of Americans need help. Though disappointed by the result, she said she was proud of her campaign and grateful to those who supported it.
Turek focused his campaign on the cost of living, health care and wages. He proposed lowering prescription drug costs, expanding access to affordable housing, raising the minimum wage and banning food price gouging nationwide.
Health care was a personal issue for Turek, who was born with spina bifida and went on to win two Paralympic gold medals. He has spoken about his own experience getting care and called health care a human right. His platform also included restoring Medicaid funding, protecting Affordable Care Act subsidies and supporting rural hospitals.
Turek described himself as someone willing to work across party lines, including on immigration. He campaigned as a “prairie populist,” arguing that families were being squeezed by rising costs for housing, groceries and fuel while corporations and politicians in Washington benefited. He also linked Iowa’s economic pressures to Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran.
Hinson’s campaign emphasized tax relief, border security, parental involvement in schools, and support for agriculture and biofuels. Trump endorsed her at a rally in Sioux City, praising her and saying he would work with her to make year-round E15 fuel permanent. He also said Turek was “not a moderate.”
