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Dems flips yet another Senate seat in Trump country amid sweeping GOP upsets
Josh Turek has won Iowa’s open US Senate seat, defeating Republican Ashley Hinson and flipping a seat held by the GOP. The result is notable because Iowa voted for Donald Trump by more than 13 percentage points in 2024, and Democrats had not won the Senate seat since 2008.
Turek campaigned on lowering living costs, improving access to healthcare and raising wages, including proposals on prescription prices, housing and Medicaid. He was born with spina bifida and is a two-time Paralympic gold medallist. Hinson, who conceded and congratulated him, had focused on tax relief, border security and support for farming and biofuels; Trump endorsed her, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune had called her victory essential to retaining the Republican majority.
In short
- Democrat Josh Turek flipped Iowa’s Republican-held Senate seat.
- Iowa had not elected a Democrat to the seat since 2008.
- Turek campaigned on affordability, healthcare and wages.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Turek’s victory can be seen as evidence that voters wanted a change in direction on household costs, healthcare and wages, and that Democrats can compete even in strongly Republican states by addressing practical concerns. His proposals on prescriptions, housing and Medicaid offered a direct response to those concerns, while his background as a Paralympic athlete brought a distinctive personal perspective to public service.
The case against
Hinson’s priorities reflected a different view of how to improve security and prosperity: tax relief, stronger border controls and support for farming and biofuels, important parts of Iowa’s economy. Her supporters could argue that these policies, backed by Trump and aimed at sustaining Republican control of the Senate, offered continuity and a stronger mandate for the party’s national agenda.
Explained simply
Iowa is one of the 50 US states, and its voters elect two senators to represent them in the federal government. Senators serve six-year terms; when a seat becomes vacant at the end of a term, voters choose who will fill it.
Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson were the candidates for Iowa’s open seat. Turek is a Democrat, while Hinson is a Republican; the parties compete for control of the Senate, which votes on laws and approves many senior government appointments.
Iowa has often voted Republican in recent presidential elections, so its Senate seat is closely watched by both parties. The outcome can affect the balance of power in the Senate, while the candidates’ campaigns raised questions about costs, healthcare, taxes and farming.