President Donald Trump on Friday endorsed Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson as she seeks the GOP nomination for the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Iowa, saying she is a "winner" and urging voters to back a candidate he described as a close ally.
Hinson, a three-term congresswoman from Iowa's 2nd District, launched her Senate campaign earlier this week to succeed retiring Sen. Joni Ernst. In a Fox News Digital interview, Hinson said, "I'm running to be President Trump's top ally in the United States Senate," and told reporters she was "proud to stand" with the former president during the Sept. 4, 2025, interview in Washington.
Trump posted on his social media account that he knows Hinson "well, and she is a WINNER! A Loving Wife and Proud Mother of two sons, Ashley is a wonderful person, has ALWAYS delivered for Iowa, and will continue doing so in the United States Senate." The endorsement came as Hinson sought to emphasize her alignment with Trump and the broader Republican agenda.
Hinson represented the northeastern portion of Iowa in the U.S. House and previously worked as a television news anchor before entering politics. Her campaign announcement framed the open-seat contest as a chance to maintain Republican control of a seat that has been held by the party since Ernst was first elected.
Ernst, who announced she would not seek reelection, leaves a competitive statewide contest in a state that has leaned Republican in recent federal elections. Republicans have flagged the seat as important to maintaining their Senate numbers in the 2026 cycle, and Trump's support signals his continued involvement in key Senate primaries and general-election contests.
Hinson's campaign is in its opening days, and the Trump endorsement arrives early in what will likely be a multi-candidate Republican primary for the nomination. Her emphasis on being a close ally to Trump follows a pattern in which prospective Senate candidates have sought high-profile endorsements to consolidate support among Republican voters.
The timing of Hinson's launch and the endorsement come as campaigns begin to coalesce around messaging and fundraising ahead of a 2026 cycle that will determine control of the Senate. With Ernst stepping down, Republicans and Democrats alike are preparing for an open-seat contest that will draw national attention and resources.
Hinson will now move forward with a campaign that ties her candidacy to Trump’s political influence while seeking to appeal to Iowa voters across the state. The general election for the Senate seat is scheduled for November 2026, with the outcome contributing to the balance of power in the next Congress.