What Iowans Are Hearing: Three Takeaways From Last Night’s IA-SEN Debate

What Iowans Are Hearing: Three Takeaways From Last Night’s IA-SEN Debate

Des Moines, IA – Last night, the choice Iowans have for their next U.S. Senator was on full display. While Ashley Hinson spent the night dodging questions and lying about Josh’s record, Josh spoke directly to Iowans about his commitment to working with anyone – including Trump – to lower costs.

Ever since, Iowans have been hearing all about the difference between corrupt millionaire Ashley Hinson and bipartisan working class champion Josh Turek.

What Iowans are hearing today:

1. Ashley Hinson has made life more expensive for Iowans. Josh Turek will work to lower costs on day one in the U.S. Senate.

New York Times: [Turek] looked directly into the camera and told viewers, “Iowans out there, when you’re struggling at the pump, that is because of Ashley Hinson,” before citing her votes against nonbinding resolutions that called for Trump to end the Iran war or seek congressional approval. Hinson seemed uncertain about how to respond.
The Washington Post: “Iowans out there, when you’re struggling at the pump, that is because of Ashley Hinson’s seven times to vote for the war,” Turek said, referring to her votes against resolutions to block Trump from ordering more strikes. “Farmers, as you’re out there in harvesting season, what you’re paying, all-time high on diesel, that is because of her voting seven times in favor of the war.”
NBC News: Turek hammered Hinson for supporting Trump policies that he says are the culprit in rising costs for Iowa families – from “chaotic tariffs” to the war in Iran – whether they live in cities or on farms.
NBC News: Turek hammered Hinson for supporting Trump policies that he says are the culprit in rising costs for Iowa families – from “chaotic tariffs” to the war in Iran – whether they live in cities or on farms. NBC News: “The real issue is that Iowans are hurting, and they’re hurting uniquely,” Turek said. “I’m hearing ‘I’m struggling to keep food on the table, I’m struggling to pay my electric bill, I’m struggling to keep a roof above my head,’ and now with this war in Iran, ‘I’m struggling just to keep gas in my tank.’” He noted that Hinson voted seven times against curtailing the war and five times against reining in Trump’s tariffs.
The Des Moines Register: Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, criticized Hinson’s continued votes against limiting the president’s war powers as several Iowa soldiers have died in the conflict and the war has sent the costs of gas, diesel and fertilizer skyrocketing.
The Hill: “We’re looking at diesel prices being at an all-time high as our farmers are going into harvesting time and leading to a furthering increase of input costs, like fertilizer,” Turek said, adding Iowa farmers are telling him it affects their bottom lines and that “I certainly don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon, but we have to end this war.”
The Washington Examiner: Iowa’s Democratic Senate nominee Josh Turek slammed Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) during their first debate by highlighting Hinson’s role in passing Republican cuts to Medicaid spending through last year’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Turek emphasized several times during the debate that Hinson voted in favor of a $1 trillion reduction in spending for Medicaid, the partially federally funded health insurance program for low-income adults and children.
The Washington Times: The state legislator blamed U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, his Republican rival, for rising costs and farm foreclosures, saying “the tariffs and the war in Iran has hurt Iowa more than any other state.”

2. One of Iowa’s most effective and bipartisan leaders, Josh Turek will be the bipartisan champion Iowa needs in the U.S. Senate, and he’ll work with anyone – including Trump – to deliver for Iowa.

New York Times: Mr. Turek, who was once a registered Republican, emphasized that he had voted hundreds of times with Republicans in the State House, on matters including lowering taxes.
CNN: Turek also praised parts of Trump’s signature legislation. “When you put together One Big Beautiful Bill, as it’s called, you’re going to have a handful of things that I actually am in favor of,” he said. “I’ve said that, and I’ve been open about it. I agree with President Trump that we need to get private equity out of housing … I believe that we should have no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, no tax on Social Security.”
CNN: [Turek] also bragged that he was willing to buck his own party and work with Republicans in the state legislature. He pledged to “do the ‘full Grassley,’” a reference to the state’s senior senator, Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, visiting all 99 of Iowa’s counties every year.
The Washington Post: Turek also boasted about his bipartisan bona fides, saying he has voted with Republicans more than 700 times in the state House. He said he would’ve supported a federal farm bill that every Senate Democrat on the Agriculture Committee opposed. And he accused Hinson of not working with Democrats as well as she claimed, calling her “the least bipartisan member of the Iowa delegation.”
The Washington Post: “I’m willing to work with anyone, including President Trump, on this issue,” Turek said, echoing a line included in one of his TV ads.
Iowa Capital Dispatch: Turek said during his time in the Iowa Legislature, he has been recognized as one of the “most effective” and bipartisan state lawmakers, referencing a Center for Effective Lawmaking report, and said he was willing to work “behind the scenes” to move many measures forward as a member of the minority party in the Iowa Legislature.
KCCI: [Turek] also criticized Hinson’s opposition to the Border Act of 2024, saying it was “endorsed by the Border Patrol” and that Hinson chose to “play political games” instead of supporting it.
Iowa News Now: While Turek claimed Hinson is the least bi-partisan member in Iowa’s congressional delegation and criticized her for votes that he said cut healthcare benefits and food assistance for Iowans. “Iowans would have been better off had she not been there in D.C. voting,” Turek said.

3. Ashley Hinson is part of the corruption on both sides of the aisle that rigs the game against working class Iowans.

The Washington Sun: “This is the corruption that we have to address,” said Turek, who tried to cast Hinson as someone who has used her time in Congress to benefit herself. Documents previously reviewed by The Sun showed that [Hinson’s husband] was credited with helping to secure a meeting for insurance lobbyists with Hinson and other lawmakers from Iowa.
The Hill: “The reality is, is that in just six years of being up in D.C., Ashley Hinson is up to 15 times more wealthy, still owns up to $5 million of private stock, even though she said she was going to sell everything,” Turek said. “This is the corruption that we have to address.”
We Are Iowa: Turek also alleged that Hinson became 15-times richer during her active stint in the U.S. House. “She’s taken $50,000 of taxpayer dollars, even though she’s a multi-millionaire, to give herself a luxury D.C. apartment and has had her husband operating as a shadow lobbyist,” Turek said.
The Washington Post: Turek criticized Hinson for becoming wealthier while serving in Congress — a charge that his campaign has also made in TV ads. “We’re sending people to D.C. like Ashley Hinson that have used her position of power to become 15 times more wealthy as she’s voting for cuts to health care, food assistance and the Social Security Administration,” Turek said.
The New York Times: Mr. Turek accused Ms. Hinson of corruption, bringing up her increase in net worth since her election to Congress in 2020…
The Des Moines Register: One of the debate’s sharpest exchanges came when he said Hinson’s husband, Matt Arenholz, used his ties to the insurance industry to arrange meetings between lobbyists and lawmakers, including Hinson herself. “This is the corruption that we have to address,” Turek said, painting Hinson as benefitting herself through her congressional service.

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