Ashley Hinson, Josh Turek Secure Iowa Senate Nominations In Key 2026 Battleground
Rep. Ashley Hinson won the Iowa Republican U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst.[1]
State Rep. Josh Turek won the Democratic primary and will face Hinson in the November general election.[2]
Republicans had largely coalesced around Hinson, and she carried an endorsement from former President Donald Trump into primary day.[1] Hinson's most prominent GOP opponent was former state Sen. Jim Carlin.[1] At a May 28 campaign stop in Fort Dodge, Hinson said a prolonged U.S. conflict with Iran could become a "political liability" and said she had attended four funerals of Iowa service members since December 2025.[3]
Turek is a Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair-basketball star who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022.[2] He represents a Trump-won House district and drew backing from national Democrats, including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Sen. Tom Harkin.[4] Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls, who ran as a progressive and had an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren.[5]
The open Iowa seat is viewed as one of roughly a dozen key Senate races that could decide control of the chamber, making November highly competitive in a state that has leaned Republican in recent presidential cycles.[5] Democrats say their recent gains and high-profile nominees give them a real chance in Iowa's broader 2026 battleground, which also includes a tossup governor's race and three competitive U.S. House contests.[4]
Show source details & analysis (6 sources)
📌 Key Facts
- Rep. Ashley Hinson won the Iowa Republican U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst; Republicans had largely coalesced around her, she was endorsed by President Donald Trump, and her main GOP opponent was former state Sen. Jim Carlin (Rep. Ashley Hinson).
- Josh Turek won the Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 (Josh Turek).
- The primary results set up a November 2026 general-election contest pitting Rep. Ashley Hinson against Democrat Josh Turek for retiring Sen. Joni Ernst's open seat (Joni Ernst).
- Josh Turek is a Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair-basketball star who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022, represents a Trump-won House district, and was backed by national Democrats including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Sen. Tom Harkin (and received an endorsement from Pete Buttigieg) (Josh Turek).
- Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls, who ran as a progressive with an endorsement from Sen. Elizabeth Warren and support from national liberal groups; early returns showed Turek leading in urban counties and parts of eastern Iowa (Zach Wahls).
- At a May 28, 2026 campaign stop in Fort Dodge, Ashley Hinson said if the U.S. conflict with Iran 'drags on' beyond 'the next couple of weeks' it could be a 'political liability' for Republicans, that she is deferring to President Trump and his foreign-policy team, that she had attended four funerals since December 2025, and that 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon' (Ashley Hinson).
- The Iowa Senate race is considered one of roughly a dozen crucial 2026 contests that could determine whether Republicans keep their slim Senate majority; Iowa has leaned Republican in recent presidential cycles (Trump margins of roughly nine points in 2016, eight in 2020 and 13 in 2024), Republicans control all federal seats and most statewide offices, but Democrats are newly energized after flipping two state Senate seats in 2025 and see a broader battleground that includes a tossup governor's race and three competitive U.S. House contests (Iowa Senate race).
📰 Source Timeline (6)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
June 03, 2026
3:37 AM
Iowa voters pick their nominees for competitive general elections
New information:
- On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, the Associated Press called Iowa's Democratic U.S. Senate primary for state Rep. Josh Turek over state Sen. Zach Wahls.
- The article details that Turek represents a Trump-won Iowa House district and was backed by national Democratic leaders including Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and former Sen. Tom Harkin.
- NPR reports that Democrats locally and nationally are optimistic that President Trump's unpopularity and Turek's profile can help them flip the open U.S. Senate seat.
- The piece situates the Senate race within a broader 2026 Iowa battleground that also includes a tossup governor's race and three competitive U.S. House contests.
3:03 AM
Iowa GOP Senate candidate Hinson: Prolonged Iran war could be "political liability"
New information:
- On Thursday, May 28, 2026, at a campaign stop in Fort Dodge, Iowa, Ashley Hinson told a voter that if the current U.S. conflict with Iran 'drags on' beyond 'the next couple of weeks,' it would be a 'political liability' for Republicans.
- Hinson said she hopes the conflict can be resolved 'by the next couple of weeks' and cited the deaths of Iowa service members, saying she has attended four funerals since December 2025.
- In the recording obtained by CBS News, Hinson said she is deferring to President Donald Trump and his foreign policy team on the war timeline and ongoing ceasefire and nuclear negotiations with Iran.
- Hinson told the voter she has not heard of any plans for a military draft and said, 'We don't need one. I hope we don't need one,' while noting the White House had previously ruled out a draft early in the war.
- She reiterated that 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon' as her bottom line on the negotiations and said families of fallen Iowa soldiers she has visited told her 'we need to finish the job.'
- A Hinson spokesperson told CBS News in a statement that 'endless wars are unpopular' and said President Trump is 'doing everything he can to prevent one while keeping Americans safe.'
1:47 AM
Democrats turn to Paralympian in bid to flip key GOP-held Senate seat
New information:
- Fox News describes Josh Turek as a moderate Democrat who flipped a GOP-held Iowa House seat in 2022.
- The article notes Zach Wahls ran as a progressive candidate endorsed by Sen. Elizabeth Warren and backed by national liberal groups, while Turek was endorsed by former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
- Fox adds that Republicans and some commentators framed Wahls as ideologically similar to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
- The piece emphasizes that the Iowa Senate race is considered one of about a dozen crucial midterm contests likely to determine whether Republicans hold their slim Senate majority.
- It highlights Hinson's status inside the GOP as a rising star, mentioning she is in her third House term and previously flipped a Democratic-held U.S. House seat in 2020.
- The article provides recent statewide political context: Trump’s 2016, 2020 and 2024 Iowa margins (nine, eight and 13 points) and Republicans’ current control of all federal seats and nearly all statewide offices.
- Fox reports that Iowa Democrats are newly energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections in 2025.
1:43 AM
Josh Turek, a Paralympian, Wins the Democratic Senate Primary in Iowa
New information:
- On Tuesday, June 2, 2026, Josh Turek won the Iowa Democratic U.S. Senate primary, securing the party's nomination to run for the seat held by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst.
- Turek is a Paralympic gold medalist and wheelchair basketball star, making him one of the highest-profile disabled candidates to win a major-party Senate nomination.
- He defeated State Sen. Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary; early returns showed Turek leading in both urban counties and parts of eastern Iowa.
- The result sets up a November 2026 general-election race between Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek for Ernst's open seat.
1:30 AM
Ashley Hinson wins Iowa Senate GOP primary, CBS News projects
New information:
- CBS News projects on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, that Rep. Ashley Hinson will win Iowa's Republican Senate primary to replace retiring Sen. Joni Ernst.
- The article notes that Republicans had quickly coalesced around Hinson, who has represented Iowa in the House since 2021 and was endorsed by President Donald Trump, making her the de facto GOP nominee heading into primary day.
- CBS specifies that former state Sen. Jim Carlin was Hinson’s opponent in the GOP primary and confirms that Democrats Josh Turek and Zach Wahls are competing for the Democratic nomination in a separate primary.