Josh Turek Defeats Ashley Hinson to Flip Iowa's Senate Seat for Democrats

A former Paralympic gold medalist wins as Republicans lose control of both Iowa Senate seats

Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek defeated Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson in Iowa's 2026 Senate election, winning the seat being vacated by retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. The Associated Press called the race for Turek, and CBS News, Reuters and local outlets also reported his victory. The result flips a Republican-held seat and ends the GOP's control of both of Iowa's U.S. Senate seats. Turek, a lawmaker from Council Bluffs, is a two-time Paralympic gold medalist in wheelchair basketball. He was born with spina bifida and uses a wheelchair. NPR reported that Turek has connected his public-service ambitions to the work of former Sen. Tom Harkin, whose efforts on disability rights helped shape the opportunities available to people with disabilities. Turek described himself as a “prairie populist” and campaigned on health care reform, affordability and government accountability.

Agricultural pressures, health care access and higher prices reshaped the race

Iowa has moved toward Republicans in recent election cycles, and Trump carried the state by 13 percentage points in 2024. Hinson was initially viewed as a strong candidate to hold the seat, but the contest tightened as voters confronted falling farm profits, manufacturing job losses, health care clinic closures, higher fuel costs and the effects of tariffs on agriculture. Reuters and NPR reported that Turek connected those pressures to the Trump administration's policies. He criticized Hinson's support for the 2025 tax law, which included cuts to Medicaid and food assistance. Hinson emphasized her willingness to work across party lines and attacked Turek over missed votes in the Iowa House and his positions on immigration. She had initially pledged to be one of Trump's strongest allies in the Senate, but later sought to reassure voters that she would push back when the state's interests required it. The race also reflected the challenges facing Republicans in a state that had been considered safely conservative. Rising diesel and fertilizer costs, trade uncertainty and concerns about health care access made economic issues more prominent. Turek's message focused on the effects of national policy on farmers and working families, while Hinson tried to balance loyalty to Trump with the concerns of Iowa voters.

Campaign spending and personal credibility became decisive factors

The contest became one of the most expensive Senate races of the cycle. Iowa Public Radio, citing federal campaign-finance data, reported that the candidates raised more than $30 million combined and outside groups contributed more than $100 million. Turek significantly outraised Hinson in the final quarter of the campaign and received support from former President Barack Obama. Axios described Turek's strategy as an appeal to working-class and independent voters, with a focus on affordability and the effects of federal policies on farmers and local communities. Hinson sought to portray Turek as too liberal for Iowa and questioned his voting record in the state legislature. Turek's campaign argued that the criticism did not account for his advocacy on disability issues and the demands of a statewide campaign. The dispute reflected a broader choice for voters between competing approaches to economic policy, health care and political loyalty. Turek will join Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley as one of Iowa's two U.S. senators. For Democrats, the victory is an important part of their effort to regain control of the Senate. For Turek, the challenge now is to deliver on promises involving health care, ethics and lower costs while maintaining a coalition in a state where Republicans retain a substantial voter base.