Democrat Josh Turek has won the open Senate seat in Iowa, defeating Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and securing a crucial victory for Democrats that will allow them to control the upper chamber of Congress for at least the next two years. Turek, 47, becomes the first Democrat elected to the Senate from Iowa since 2008.
Turek ran as a centrist "common-sense populist," focusing on lowering costs and aligning with some of President Trump's positions on issues such as Medicaid coverage and sports eligibility for transgender people. His campaign emphasized his background as a former wheelchair basketball star who won Paralympic gold medals in 2016 and 2020.
Hinson, 43, who represented northeastern Iowa in the House since 2021, faced challenges attributed to national headwinds affecting Republicans, including rising gas prices and inflation. Despite running on a platform of improving life for families, voter concerns over the cost of living and the impact of Trump's tariff policy on Iowa farmers played a role.
President Trump made efforts to support farmers, announcing an $8 billion harvest relief fund in October. However, the race remained competitive in Iowa, a state Trump had won three times previously. Trump actively campaigned in the state in the final months, criticizing Turek for reportedly missing a significant portion of state legislative votes and branding him a "woke, far-left radical" while endorsing Hinson.
Turek, who was born with spina bifida, previously won his state legislative seat by a narrow margin in 2022 and was re-elected by a more comfortable margin in 2024. Hinson, a mother of two, had a background as a television news anchor and served two terms in the Iowa House before her congressional tenure.
Retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, who held the seat Turek won, will conclude her second term in January. Turek will join the 120th Congress alongside veteran Democratic Sen. Chuck Grassley.