Turek, Hinson win Iowa Senate primaries

Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek won the Democratic nomination for the state’s open U.S. Senate seat Tuesday, setting up a November contest against Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in a race both parties are preparing to fight with millions of dollars in advertising.

Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in a combative Democratic primary, while Hinson beat former state Sen. Jim Carlin for the Republican nomination, according to projections from major news organizations. The two will compete to replace Republican Sen. Joni Ernst, who decided not to seek reelection.

The race gives Democrats a chance to contest a seat in a state that has leaned strongly Republican in recent elections. Iowa has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 2008, and President Donald Trump carried the state by 13 points in 2024, CBS News reported. The Cook Political Report rates the race as likely Republican, while saying it could become more competitive with Turek as the nominee.

Turek, 47, is a former wheelchair basketball Paralympic gold medalist and a state representative from western Iowa. He was backed by former Sen. Tom Harkin, whose “prairie populism” was a prominent part of Iowa Democratic politics before his retirement in 2014. Turek has emphasized his working-class background, the economy and his ability to win in conservative territory.

“Iowans feel like they’re pushing uphill, and I know exactly what that feels like, because it’s working-class families like mine paying the price for Trump’s war and Washington’s corruption,” Turek said in a campaign ad that showed him pushing his wheelchair up an incline. “In the Senate, I’ll take on Trump, and no one will push harder for change.”

Outside spending played a major role in the Democratic primary. VoteVets, a group that traditionally supports veterans, spent nearly $10 million on advertising for Turek, according to AdImpact, an ad-tracking firm. NBC News reported the group invested in Turek in part because he was born with spina bifida attributed to his father’s exposure to Agent Orange while serving in Vietnam.

“Josh Turek — 21 surgeries by age 12, but he put up 1,000 shots a day to make Team USA,” a narrator said in one VoteVets ad. “Now Josh is running for Senate to reverse Donald Trump’s healthcare cuts and take on the insurance companies. Iowa families are hurting, but Josh Turek’s got the strength to fight back.”

Wahls, 34, argued that he was the true progressive in the race and criticized the outside money supporting Turek. He had the endorsement of Sen. Elizabeth Warren and several labor unions. Wahls first gained national attention in 2011, when, as a University of Iowa student, he testified at the state House in support of marriage equality and spoke about being raised by two mothers.

Turek and Wahls each spent about $1.5 million through their campaigns, according to NBC News. Wahls also benefited from outside spending by Iowa Action, though at a far smaller scale than the VoteVets effort for Turek.

Hinson, 42, has represented an eastern Iowa congressional district since 2021 and entered the Republican primary with Trump’s endorsement. In a campaign ad, she highlighted both her support from Trump and bipartisan work in Congress.

“Our veterans deserve a hell of a lot better,” Hinson said in the ad. “Healthcare companies are ripping you off, and members of Congress should not trade stocks.” She added that she had worked with both parties to expand mental health care for veterans, was working with Trump to take on insurance companies and was fighting to ban stock trading in Congress.

The general election is expected to draw heavy spending. The Republican-aligned Senate Leadership Fund plans to spend $29 million in the race, while the Democratic Senate Majority PAC has announced a $13.4 million initial investment in television ad reservations, according to CBS News.