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Democrats flip Senate as Josh Turek dunks Ashley Hinson in Iowa race
Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in the race for retiring Senator Joni Ernst’s seat, handing Democrats control of the Senate for at least two years. The result is notable because Iowa backed Donald Trump by 13 percentage points in 2024, yet voters chose a Democrat who campaigned as a centrist focused on the cost of living.
Turek, 47, will be Iowa’s first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin left office in 2009. He won Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball in 2016 and 2020, and entered the state legislature in 2022 by just six votes. Hinson, 43, had served in the House since 2021; her campaign faced voter concerns over inflation, rising fuel prices and tariffs that hurt farmers, despite an $8 billion federal harvest relief fund announced in October. Turek will join 93-year-old Chuck Grassley when the new Congress convenes in January.
In short
- Josh Turek won Iowa’s open Senate seat for the Democrats.
- The result gives Democrats control of the Senate for at least two years.
- Turek is Iowa’s first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Turek’s win can be seen as voters seeking a change in economic direction after concerns about inflation, fuel costs and tariffs affecting farmers. His centrist, cost-of-living campaign may have offered a credible alternative in a state that had strongly backed Trump, while giving Democrats a Senate majority to pursue their priorities.
The case against
Hinson’s supporters could argue that a difficult national economic climate does not erase the case for continuity or Republican policies, and that the federal harvest relief fund showed a willingness to address farmers’ needs. They may also see one close-fought state result as an imperfect mandate for a broader shift in direction, particularly when Turek campaigned as a centrist.
Explained simply
Iowa elects two people to the US Senate, where senators serve six-year terms and vote on federal laws and appointments. Joni Ernst, a Republican, is retiring from one of the state’s seats; Chuck Grassley, also a Republican, holds the other.
Josh Turek is a Democratic member of Iowa’s state legislature, while Ashley Hinson is a Republican who has represented Iowa in the US House of Representatives. Turek has also won Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball. The race drew attention because Iowa strongly backed Donald Trump in 2024, and voters’ concerns included the cost of living, fuel prices and the effects of tariffs on farmers.
A Senate majority can shape which bills advance and how the chamber handles presidential appointments. For Iowa, the contest also marks a possible change in its representation: the state has not had a Democratic senator since Tom Harkin left office in 2009.