Key facts
- Turek, an Iowa state lawmaker, defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson in the Senate race, per media projections.
- Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority before the elections, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats.
- Turek will replace Joni Ernst, who announced in 2025 she would not seek reelection.
- Turek campaigned on affordability and fighting corruption, and criticized Hinson's support for Trump's 2025 tax law.
- Hinson criticized Turek for missing votes in the Iowa House and called him too liberal on immigration.
Democrat Josh Turek won Iowa's US Senate race on November 3, 2026, according to media projections, defeating Trump-backed Republican Ashley Hinson. The result was a Democratic pickup in a state President Donald Trump carried in three straight presidential elections.
Republicans held a 53-47 Senate majority going into the elections, with Democrats needing a net gain of four seats to take control. The race grew increasingly competitive and was considered a toss-up in the final weeks, Reuters reported.
Turek, an Iowa state lawmaker who calls himself a "prairie populist," campaigned on affordability and fighting corruption. He criticized Hinson's support for Trump's 2025 tax law, which included Medicaid and food assistance cuts. Like other Democrats in competitive Midwest races, he took moderate stances on transgender rights. His campaign also focused on fighting high cancer rates in Iowa and lowering costs for farmers.
Hinson criticized Turek for missing votes in the Iowa House and characterized him as too liberal for Iowa on issues like immigration. Born with spina bifida, Turek uses a wheelchair and has won two Paralympic gold medals in wheelchair basketball. Turek will replace Joni Ernst, who announced last year that she would not run for reelection.
NBC News reported that Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in a June primary, 63% to 37%, and that Hinson won her primary with 75% of the vote.