Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, a Democrat, defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson on Tuesday to win the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring Sen. Joni Ernst, flipping a seat Republicans held in a state President Donald Trump carried by 13 points in 2024.
The Associated Press called the race for Turek at 10:35 p.m. Tuesday. With an estimated 91 percent of votes counted, Turek had 50.8 percent of the vote, or 643,244 votes, to Hinson’s 46.1 percent, or 583,403 votes. Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn drew 3.1 percent, or 38,759 votes.
The race turned in its final weeks on questions about Turek’s attendance record in the Iowa House and his positions on immigration policy.
Between January 12 and May 3, Turek missed 261 votes in the Iowa House — roughly 60 percent of the chamber’s votes during that span — including measures touching on rural health care, medical licensing, and education. The Iowa House chief clerk confirmed Turek collected $20,100 in legislative per diem payments over that period, against a maximum daily tax-free allowance of $201.
Hinson pressed him on the payments during an October Senate debate.
“You took the per diem; you stole from taxpayers. You should refund that money.”
On immigration, Turek’s record includes a vote to limit cooperation between Iowa law enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, missed votes on citizenship requirements for public assistance and voter registration, and public calls for “an easier pathway to citizenship” for illegal immigrants. His legislative newsletter carried a section titled “Know Your Rights as an Immigrant.” His campaign has said he “opposes benefits for illegal immigrants.”
During the October debate, Hinson accused Turek of advising illegal immigrants on how to avoid deportation and enforcement. Turek rejected the charge directly.
“That is a lie.”
Hinson also invoked the 2016 death of 21-year-old Sarah Root, who was killed by a drunk driver who was in the country illegally.
“I would say tell that to the mother of Sarah Root, Michelle Root, who lost her daughter to an illegal immigrant who killed Sarah Root because he was here illegally and he was driving drunk.”
In a separate interview with NBC News anchor Tom Llamas, Turek said illegal immigrants should not face “an immediate deportation,” and he incorrectly linked Republican Reps. Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra to the DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act; neither lawmaker cosponsored the bill.
Turek’s win hands Democrats a Senate seat in a state that has otherwise trended sharply toward Republicans in recent presidential cycles.
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