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Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson on Monday announced her bid for the U.S. Senate, in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst.
“I am running for the United States Senate,” Hinson said in an appearance on a popular afternoon talk radio program in Iowa.
Hinson – a former TV news anchor who is in her third term representing Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, which covers the northeastern portion of the state – showcased her support for President Donald Trump.
“I’m running to be President Trump’s top ally in the United States Senate,” she said. “I’m proud to fight alongside him.”
REPUBLICAN JONI ERNST ANNOUNCES SHE WON’T SEEK SENATE RE-ELECTION NEXT YEAR
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa on Tuesday launched a Senate campaign in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Joni Ernst. (Getty Images)
Her news came a few hours after Ernst, in a social media video, officially announced that she wouldn’t seek re-election in next year’s midterms.
“Having been raised in a family who has given me so much love and support, now as our family ages and grows, it’s time for me to get back to them. After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking re-election in 2026,” the 55-year-old Ernst, who was first elected to the Senate in 2014, said in a video posted to social media.
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Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War, had been wrestling for months over whether to run for re-election in 2026. And in her video, she said, “This was no easy decision.”
Ernst first grabbed national attention 11 years ago with her “make ’em squeal” ads as she won the high-profile Senate election in Iowa in the race to succeed retiring longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.
And Ernst highlighted in her video that “11 years ago, Iowans elected me as the first female combat veteran to the U.S. Senate, and they did so with a mission in mind – to make Washington squeal. And I’m proud to say we have delivered. We’ve cut waste, fraud, and abuse across the federal government.”
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa announced on Tuesday that she wouldn’t seek re-election in the 2026 midterms. (Reuters)
Hinson, in a social media post, thanked Ernst for her “incredible service to our state and nation” as well as for her friendship. “Iowa is better off thanks to your selfless service,” she said.
In her radio interview, she told host Simon Conway that among her priorities as she runs for the Senate are “secure borders, keeping men out of girls’ sports, cutting taxes for our working families, standing up for Iowa agriculture and helping our young Iowans who are trying to buy a house and start a family.”
Hinson also pledged to campaign across all 99 of Iowa’s counties, starting with a kick-off event on Friday.
And as she entered the race, Hinson was endorsed by Republican Sens. Jim Banks of Indiana, Katie Britt of Alabama, and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.
House Majority Leader Rep. Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, House Republican Leadership Chair Rep. Elise Stefanik and Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann also backed Hinson.
Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) communications director Maeve Coyle, following Hinson’s announcement, argued that “Republicans failed to convince Joni Ernst to run for reelection, and now they may be stuck with Ashley Hinson, who has repeatedly voted to raise costs and make life harder for Iowans by voting to slash Medicaid, cheering on the chaotic tariffs that threaten Iowa’s economy, voting against measures to lower the cost of insulin, and threatening Social Security.”
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Iowa was once a top battleground state that former President Barack Obama carried in his 2008 and 2012 White House victories. But the state has shifted to the right in recent election cycles, with President Donald Trump carrying the state by nine points in 2016, eight points in 2020, and by 13 points last November.
Republicans currently hold both of the state’s U.S. Senate seats – Ernst and longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley – and all four of Iowa’s congressional districts, as well as all statewide offices except for state auditor, which is held by Democrat Rob Sand, who’s running for governor next year.
But Democrats in Iowa are energized after flipping two GOP-held state Senate seats in special elections so far this year.
Iowa’s all-Republican congressional delegation teams up at Sen. Joni Ernst’s annual Roast and Ride fundraiser in Des Moines, Iowa on June 3, 2023. From left to right are Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks, Sen. Chuck Grassley, Ernst, Gov. Kim Reynolds, Rep. Ashley Hinson, Rep. Zach Nunn, and Rep. Randy Feenstra. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Four Democrats are already running for Senate in Iowa. The field includes state Rep. Josh Turek, a Paralympian wheelchair basketball player, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director Nathan Sage and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.
“An open seat in Iowa is just the latest example of Democrats expanding the senatorial map,” Lauren French, spokesperson for the Democrat-aligned Senate Majority PAC, said in a statement.
But Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, the chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC), said in a statement, “The NRSC is confident Iowans will elect a Republican to continue fighting for them and championing President Trump’s agenda in 2026.”
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Republicans are aiming to not only defend, but expand, the current 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s elections.
Senate Republicans enjoyed a favorable map in the 2024 cycle as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win back the majority.
But the party in power – the Republicans – traditionally faces political headwinds in the midterm elections. Nevertheless, a current read of the 2026 map indicates the GOP may be able to go on offense in some key states.
In battleground Georgia, which Trump narrowly carried in last year’s White House race, Republicans view first-term Sen. Jon Ossoff as the most vulnerable Democrat incumbent up for re-election next year.
They’re also targeting battleground Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring at the end of next year, and swing state New Hampshire, where longtime Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen decided against seeking a fourth six-year term in the Senate.
Also on the NRSC’s target list is blue-leaning Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith isn’t running for re-election.
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But the GOP is defending an open seat in battleground North Carolina, where Republican Sen. Thom Tills decided against seeking re-election. And Republicans will likely be forced to spend resources to defend Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio – who was appointed to succeed former senator and now-Vice President JD Vance – as he faces off next year against former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown.
Meanwhile, Democrats are also targeting moderate Sen. Susan Collins – who has yet to announce her expected 2026 re-election – in blue-leaning Maine.