Democrat Josh Turek has defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race, ending a closely fought contest.
The candidates were nearly tied for much of the campaign, with polling sometimes showing just a tenth of a percentage point between them. Turek edged ahead in August and held his narrow lead through Election Day.
Turek will succeed Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who is retiring. His win gives Iowa its first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin left the Senate in 2015.
Iowa resident and BlazeTV host Steve Deace, who followed the race, criticized Hinson for not speaking with him during her campaign. Deace said he had built a major media platform in the state and questioned why a candidate seeking statewide office would avoid reaching out to that audience.
Both candidates had political experience. Hinson worked as a journalist at KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids before serving in the Iowa House from 2017 to 2021. She was elected to the U.S. House in 2020.
Turek has served in the Iowa House since 2022. Before entering politics, he played professional basketball and won a Paralympic medal.
