Iowa Senate Primary Results
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek won their primaries June 2, 2026, and will face off in November for retiring Sen. Joni Ernst's Iowa Senate seat.
Objective Facts
Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls in the Democratic primary for Senate on Tuesday night, while Rep. Ashley Hinson won the Republican primary for Senate in Iowa on Tuesday, capturing her party's nomination in a red state that both parties have signaled will be unusually competitive this year. The battle between Turek and Wahls was emblematic of a larger struggle within the Democratic Party between its more moderate and progressive wings, and became a referendum on Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. Turek, 47, defeated state Sen. Zach Wahls and will face Rep. Ashley Hinson, who won Tuesday's GOP primary with President Donald Trump's endorsement, in the general election. The Cook Political Report shifted its rating of the battle for the Senate seat in Iowa from 'likely' Republican to 'lean' Republican following Turek's victory.
Left-Leaning Perspective
Senate Majority PAC and VoteVets praised Turek's win, with VoteVets noting it spent $9.7 million ahead of the primary to support him through television, digital and direct mail advertising. VoteVets took a victory lap after Turek's victory, with a senior adviser stating 'Josh knows firsthand what it means to fight through adversity. That's a quality veterans know well — and we are proud to stand behind him' and 'If elected, he will fight for working families, veterans, and military family members like his own. With our country at war and prices soaring, our nation needs Josh in the Senate more than ever'. Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart criticized Hinson's record in Congress, saying Hinson has worked 'for herself, not Iowans,' and arguing voters would hold her accountable in November. Progressive candidate Zach Wahls, who was positioned as a more progressive candidate and campaigned alongside national political figures like U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, criticized Turek for getting support from the VoteVets super PAC, an organization affiliated with Senate Democratic leadership and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, though he ultimately gave Turek his full endorsement in his concession speech. Front-runner Josh Turek stresses the need to redefine what it means to be a Democrat, while underdog Zach Wahls says the party's brand is 'toxic,' with Wahls' conviction leading to an unorthodox campaign strategy of regularly ripping Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer. During the Democratic primary debate, Wahls targeted Schumer, stating 'I said on the first day of this campaign I will not vote to support the failed leadership of Senator Chuck Schumer' and grounding his attack in financial ties, noting that establishment Democratic organizations in Washington, D.C., have backed the front-runner. The outcome of Tuesday's Democratic primary represents the latest example of the divide among Democrats over the party's direction. Left-leaning outlets emphasizing electability over ideology appear to view Turek's victory as necessary for Democrats' Senate majority goals, but progressive voices like Wahls raised concerns about the role of national Democratic leadership and outside spending in shaping the primary outcome.
Right-Leaning Perspective
National Republican Senatorial Committee Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell said 'Chuck Schumer spent $10 million dollars to coronate Josh Turek as his rubber stamp for Democrats' radical tax-and-spend agenda. In November, Iowans will reject him and elect Ashley Hinson to keep fighting for Iowa families, farmers, and workers'. The NRSC quickly went up with a digital ad targeting Turek for what Republicans argued is his 'radical agenda'. Iowa GOP Chair Jeff Kaufmann previewed the general election as 'the battle for Iowa values' while tying Turek tightly to Schumer, stating 'You all know exactly who Josh Turek is going to get his orders from. It's going to be Chuck Schumer. It's going to be the left. It's going to be California. It's going to New York. … All you need to know is where he's getting his marching orders tonight'. Hinson specifically criticized Turek's legislative record, accusing him of supporting 'illegal immigrants over Americans,' backing higher taxes and promoting what she described as 'radical gender ideology'. Quickly after the race was called, Hinson's campaign issued a news release criticizing Turek's record on immigration and reversing tax cuts made by Republicans in Congress, stating 'In Washington, Turek would be a rubber stamp for the radical leftists who bankrolled his campaign' and 'His values might fit in great in New York City with Chuck Schumer, but his liberal record won't fly here in Iowa'. In her victory speech, Hinson highlighted the Republican tax and spending package known as 'the Big, Beautiful Bill' and touted a drop in the murder rate, but added that more needs to be done to address rising costs. Right-leaning coverage emphasizes Turek's connections to national Democratic leadership and characterizes his positions as out of step with Iowa values. Coverage downplays the competitiveness signaling from political forecasters and does not substantially address economic challenges Iowans face.
Deep Dive
Iowa has been one of the most significant shifts in American political geography over the past decade. Since voting for President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, Iowa has trended increasingly Republican and is now considered a moderately to strongly red state at the federal and state level, with Donald Trump winning Iowa in 2020 by 8 percentage points and in 2024 growing his margin to 13 percentage points, while Republicans control every statewide executive office (except the state auditor's office), majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and the entire congressional delegation. The primary results reflect two competing Democratic theories about how to win in such an environment: Turek's approach of pragmatism and crossover appeal versus Wahls' approach of ideological clarity and distancing from national Democratic brand problems. Turek's 62.6%-37.4% victory demonstrates that Iowa Democratic voters, or at least primary voters, are prioritizing electability in a state where the national Democratic brand faces real headwinds. Wahls argued 'I think the National Democratic brand is broken and, frankly, very toxic,' but Turek did not entirely disagree about the party's standing in Iowa, noting 'We need to make a distinction between what is maybe a coastal Democrat and what is an Iowa Democrat'. However, Republicans preferred Wahls because 'he's so far to the left that it's going to probably turn off the no-party voters,' while Democrats said 'We need Turek because we need to have a fighting chance at this election'—suggesting that both parties view the race through the lens of electability rather than ideological commitment. The Cook Political Report's shift from "Likely Republican" to "Lean Republican" based on Turek's nomination indicates that political forecasters believe environmental factors (tariffs, Iran war, economic struggles) have made the race genuinely competitive, not merely that Turek is theoretically a stronger candidate. What remains unresolved is whether Turek can actually achieve the crossover appeal he promises, and whether Democratic dependence on outside spending (VoteVets spent nearly $10 million) will become a liability if voters in a state skeptical of Washington perceive him as a creature of national Democratic interests. Influential evangelical Republican leader Bob Vander Plaats expressed concern, saying 'Ashley Hinson is going to be in a really, really tough race', suggesting that some Republican operatives do not view this as a safe seat. The November race will test whether Iowa's rightward trend is durable or whether economic discontent can override Republican structural advantages in the state.
