Josh Turek Flips Iowa Senate Seat, Beating Trump-Backed Ashley Hinson in 2026

Democrat Josh Turek has won Iowa's United States Senate race, defeating Republican Representative Ashley Hinson and flipping a seat that Republicans had held for more than a decade. The Associated Press, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ called the race on Tuesday night, November 3, 2026, at around 11:20 p.m. Eastern Time, just before 10:30 p.m. Central Time, in one of the most striking results of a midterm night that reshaped control of Congress.

Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medallist for Team USA and an Iowa state legislator who calls himself a "prairie populist", becomes Iowa's first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin last won in 2008. His victory ends more than a decade in which Republicans held both of Iowa's Senate seats, and it was the sixth Senate flip of the night for Democrats, alongside victories in Kansas, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina.

Key Points

• Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa's Senate race on November 3, 2026.
• The race was called at around 11:20 p.m. ET, with Turek leading 50.9% to 46% with more than 90% of votes counted in early figures.
• Turek becomes Iowa's first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin won in 2008.
• He succeeds retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst, first elected in 2014, who did not seek re-election.
• The win was Democrats' sixth Senate flip of the night, helping them toward control of the chamber.

What Happened

Iowans voted on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, to fill the Senate seat being vacated by Senator Joni Ernst, and the contest between Turek and Hinson had been one of the closest and most closely watched in the country. Early results pointed to a narrow but clear Turek advantage. Figures reported by the Daily Caller had Turek leading 50.9% to 46% with more than 90% of votes counted at the time of the call, while Associated Press figures showed Turek on 652,142 votes with 92.03% of precincts reporting.

The Associated Press, NBC News and Decision Desk HQ all projected Turek as the winner, a convergence that left little doubt about the outcome even as final precincts continued to report. Hinson, a sitting member of the House of Representatives, had been backed by President Donald Trump and by Ernst herself, and the race had drawn national attention and money as both parties treated Iowa as a genuine battleground for the first time in years.

Background: An Open Seat in a Red State

The Iowa Senate race began as an open-seat contest, and open seats are often the hardest to predict. Ernst, first elected in 2014, chose not to seek re-election, leaving Republicans without the advantage of an incumbent and Democrats with their best opening in Iowa in a generation. Iowa had voted Republican in recent presidential elections, but its politics retain a strong populist streak.

Polling throughout the autumn suggested a dead heat. Final surveys before Election Day showed the candidates separated by a point or less, and both campaigns poured resources into turnout in the state's cities, suburbs and farming counties. Hinson, who had built a profile in the House as a loyal supporter of the president, argued that her record and her endorsements showed she would defend Iowa's interests in a Republican-led Washington. Turek countered that loyalty to the White House had come at the expense of Iowa families, pointing in particular to health care and food assistance.

Josh Turek Iowa Senate Win: Why Iowa Flipped

The Josh Turek Iowa Senate win did not happen in isolation. It was part of a broader Democratic surge on Tuesday night that also flipped Senate seats in Kansas, Texas, Ohio, North Carolina and South Carolina, and it came as Democrats were also winning control of the House of Representatives. Together, those results turned what had been expected to be a competitive midterm into a sweeping night for the opposition party.

Within Iowa, the result also reflects a changing electorate. Suburban voters around Des Moines and Cedar Rapids, younger voters, and voters who had drifted away from the Democratic Party in recent cycles all appear to have moved back in significant numbers, while Turek's personal story — an athlete who represented the United States on the world stage and then entered state politics — gave him a profile that cut across traditional party lines. His "prairie populist" label, a phrase he uses for himself, captured an approach that mixed economic fairness with a distinctly Iowan identity.

Reactions

The result was greeted as a landmark by Democrats, for whom the Iowa flip carried both practical and symbolic weight. Practically, it added to a Senate tally that, combined with the other flips of the night, moved the chamber toward Democratic control. Symbolically, it broke a Republican hold on Iowa's Senate delegation that had lasted since Harkin departed, and it did so with a candidate whose biography — Paralympic gold medallist, state legislator, self-described "prairie populist" — does not fit the usual mould of a Senate nominee.

For more on the night that produced this result, read our report on Democrats winning Senate control in the 2026 midterms, and our earlier coverage of Trump's final midterm push in Iowa and Kansas.

Why It Matters

The Senate decides far more than legislation. It confirms judges and senior officials, shapes foreign policy and spending, and can block or advance a president's programme. A change in its control therefore changes the balance of power in Washington for the remaining two years of President Trump's term, affecting everything from health care and tax policy to nominations, including any future Supreme Court vacancy.

Iowa's flip matters beyond the arithmetic. It shows that states once written off as safely Republican can move quickly when an open seat, a strong challenger and a difficult national environment coincide. It also gives Democrats a senator whose background in disability sport and state government may shape his approach to health care, accessibility and rural issues — themes that featured heavily in his campaign.

What Happens Next

Turek will take office in January 2027, when the new Congress is seated, and will serve alongside Iowa's other senator. In the meantime, final vote totals will be certified, and both parties will begin the longer task of interpreting Tuesday's results and preparing for the next cycle. For Iowa, the immediate question is how its new senator positions himself in a chamber where Democrats now hold the majority — and whether the populist, affordability-first politics that won him the seat will define his time in Washington.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who won the Iowa Senate race in 2026?
Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Ashley Hinson on November 3, 2026.

What was the margin?
Early figures had Turek leading 50.9% to 46% with more than 90% counted, and the AP showed Turek on 652,142 votes at 92.03% of precincts reporting.

Whom does Turek succeed?
He succeeds retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst, first elected in 2014, who did not seek re-election.

Why is the win historic?
Turek becomes Iowa's first Democratic senator since Tom Harkin won in 2008, ending more than a decade of Republican control of both Iowa Senate seats.

When does Turek take office?
He takes office in January 2027, when the new Congress is seated.