Ashley Hinson
Ashley Hinson is an American Republican politician and former television news reporter who served in the Iowa House of Representatives and has been a U.S. Representative from Iowa since 2021. She was the Republican nominee in the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Iowa, which she lost to Democrat Josh TurekJosh TurekJosh Turek is an American Democratic politician and former wheelchair basketball player who competed for the United States at four Paralympic Games, winning two gold medals, and has served in the Iowa House of Representatives since 2023. In November 2026 he was elected U.S. Senator from Iowa.Open the full entry.
Contents9 sections
Key facts
Education and Journalism Career
Hinson is an Iowa native. She received a B.A. in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern CaliforniaUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThe University of Southern California (USC) is a private research university in Los Angeles, California, planned by a group led by Judge Robert Maclay Widney and opened to students in 1880.Open the full entry and then returned to Iowa to work.[1]
She worked as a reporter for KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids for more than a decade, covering small business owners and community leaders and reporting extensively on rising health care costs and flooding in eastern Iowa. She won two Midwest regional Emmy awards and was an RTDNA Health Reporting Fellow.[1]
2016–2020Iowa State Representative
November 2020Election to the U.S. House
In November 2020 Hinson defeated incumbent Democratic Representative Abby Finkenauer in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, a race called by the Associated Press, by 51% to 49%. She was endorsed by President Donald Trump and Governor Kim Reynolds.[3][2]
After the win she said, “This is the honor of my life and I look forward to serving you in Congress.”[3]
2021–2026Service in the U.S. House
Hinson has served three terms in the U.S. House; she took the oath for her third term, representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, on January 3, 2025, at the start of the 119th Congress. Her hometown is listed as Marion.[4][5]
In the 119th Congress she serves on the House Appropriations Committee (including its Agriculture; Financial Services and General Government; and Homeland Security subcommittees), the Committee on Ethics, and the Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party.[5]
Her official House website says she has introduced and supported bipartisan bills on access to child care for working families and on federal lobbying bans.[1]
September 2025Senate Campaign Launch
On September 2, 2025, hours after U.S. Senator Joni Ernst said she would not seek re-election in 2026, Hinson announced her campaign for the seat. Senators Katie Britt, Jim Banks and Markwayne Mullin endorsed her.[4]
She said, “I’m running for Senate because there’s more work to do, and I am prepared to win and deliver.” She also thanked Ernst: “Our country and state are better off because of Joni’s selfless service.”[4]
June 2026Republican Primary
On June 2, 2026, Hinson, who had Trump’s endorsement, defeated former state lawmaker Jim Carlin to win the Republican nomination, setting up a general-election contest with Democrat Josh Turek.[6][7]
After the primary she said, “I will never back down from a fight.”[8]
November 2026U.S. Senate Election
On November 3, 2026, the Associated Press called Iowa’s U.S. Senate race for Democrat Josh Turek, who defeated Hinson.[9]
Related Organizations, Websites, and Public Accounts
Office of Representative Ashley Hinson: Official website: https://hinson.house.gov/ (opens in a new window).[1]
X: Public account: https://x.com/RepAshleyHinson (opens in a new window).[1]
YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is Google’s video-sharing and creator platform, founded in 2005 by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim and acquired by Google in 2006. Built around video uploading, viewing, and creator earnings, the platform has developed Shorts, YouTube Music, Premium, YouTube TV, and products for children, and is headquartered in San Bruno, California, United States.Open the full entry: Public channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjB2zmmY92PtuUbRq-HusqA (opens in a new window).[1]
Sources
- About | Representative Ashley Hinson (opens in a new window)
- Hinson defeats Finkenauer in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District (opens in a new window)
- Republican Ashley Hinson wins election to U.S. House in 1st Congressional District (opens in a new window)
- U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson launches Senate bid following Ernst’s announcement (opens in a new window)
- Ashley Hinson (opens in a new window)
- Iowa voters pick their nominees for competitive general elections (opens in a new window)
- Rep. Josh Turek wins U.S. Senate primary race against Sen. Zach Wahls (opens in a new window)
- In Iowa Senate race, Hinson-Turek matchup set for November (opens in a new window)
- Midterm Elections 2026: Live Results, Key Races, and More (opens in a new window)