Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson, whose district includes Poweshiek County, announced on Sept. 2 that she is running for Senate after Republican Sen. Joni Ernst announced her retirement. The seat is also being targeted by Democrats as a potential flip.
In the days following her announcement, Hinson picked up endorsements from President Donald Trump (R), Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-LA), U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn (R-IA 3) and Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann (R-IA 82).
“Ashley Hinson will be an outstanding Senator, and has my Complete and Total Endorsement — SHE WILL NOT LET YOU DOWN,” said President Donald Trump in a Truth Social publication.
The early endorsements position Hinson as the front-runner for the Republican nomination in the race for the Senate. Hinson is only facing one major competitor in the primary, former Iowa state senator Jim Carlin, who ran unsuccessfully in 2022.
In a statement to The Scarlet & Black, Hinson wrote, “My priorities are Iowans’ priorities.”
As senator, Hinson stated that she would support “securing our borders and deporting illegal aliens. Keeping men out of girls’ sports and returning common sense to classrooms. Defending our farmers and supporting Iowa agriculture.”
Hinson still faces intraparty detractors. After Hinson’s announcement, four Iowa GOP lawmakers, Sen. Kevin Alons (R-IA 7), Sen. Doug Campbell (R-IA 30), Sen. Sandy Salmon (R-IA 29) and Rep. Samantha Fett (R-IA 22), endorsed Carlin.
“Let’s be clear: This is a critical moment,” Carlin said in a press release. “Iowa doesn’t need another establishment-picked, uniparty Republican.”
Despite Iowa moving toward Republicans in recent years, Democrats are still targeting the state in their attempt to flip control of the Senate in 2026. Democratic hopes are buoyed by a pair of Democratic state-level flips in 2025 special elections: Senate District 35 in January and Senate District 1 in August, which ended a three year Republican supermajority.
“Iowans deserve better than representation by Washington Republicans,” the Iowa Democratic Party said in a statement to the media. “[Republicans] only care about themselves, corporate interests and the wealthiest Americans. In 2026, Iowa will elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate.”
State Sen. Zach Wahls (D-IA 43), State Rep. Josh Turek (D-IA 20), Des Moines school board chair Jackie Norris and radio market director Nathan Sage are vying for the Democratic Party’s nomination.
As of the end of June, the most recent mandated Federal Election Commission (FEC) report showed Sage with a slight fundraising advantage, while Wahls currently leads in endorsements. Sage raised $709,398 as of the end of June, while Wahls raised $656,638.
Incumbent Sen. Joni Ernst (R), first elected in 2014, announced on Sept. 2 that she will not run for reelection.
Ernst sparked controversy in May when she told a town hall, “Well, we all are going to die,” in response to a question about Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.
Despite the controversy, Hinson’s campaign is not distancing itself from Ernst. “Our country and state are better off because of Joni’s selfless service — I lead a heartfelt thank you from every Iowan,” Hinson said. Ernst has not yet endorsed Hinson.
Hinson’s decision to run for the Senate means she will retire from the U.S. House, creating an open race in Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, which includes Poweshiek Country.
The district is rated “Likely Republican” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball, a nonpartisan election analysis site run by the University of Virginia Center for Politics. Hinson won 57 percent of the vote in 2024, up from 54 percent in 2022. The race was rated “Safe Republican” in 2024.
In the days following Hinson’s announcement, State Sen. Charlie McClintock (R-IA 42) and former State Rep. Joe Mitchell (R-IA 84) launched campaigns to replace her. Former U.S. Rep. Rod Blum (R-IA 1) and State Rep. Shannon Lundgren (R-IA 67) have publicly expressed interest in running. The Republican primary is in its early stages, and there have been no major endorsements yet.
Three Democrats have announced candidacies, including State Rep. Lindsay James (D-IA 71), nonprofit founder Clint Twedt-Ball, and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College Kathy Dolter. As in the Republican primary, there have been no major endorsements in this race yet.
Democrat Kevin Techau, a retired military officer who served as U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Iowa from 2014 to 2017, was previously considered the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination for the seat. But Techau dropped out of the race in June, before Hinson announced she would run for the Senate. In his announcement suspending his campaign, he said fundraising “hasn’t met the threshold level that this race demands.”
Republicans argue that Techau’s exit shows the uphill climb for Democrats. The National Republican Congressional Committee said in a statement, “Democrats already know they can’t beat Ashley Hinson. That’s why they’re stuck with their second choice.”
But, similar to the Senate race, Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District is a seat Democrats believe they can flip. In April, before Hinson’s announcement, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee (DCCC) listed IA-2 as a “district in play.”
The DCCC has not changed its tune since April.
In a statement to The S&B, the committee said, “Ashley Hinson is clearly eager to jump off the sinking ship that is her reelection in Iowa’s 2nd District. Hinson is terrified to face her voters.”
Estelle Rosen • Sep 18, 2025 at 10:46 am
Great summary! Who is the writer?