Democrat Josh Turek has defeated Republican Ashley Hinson in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race, according to an election projection by the Associated Press Tuesday night.
The victory makes Turek the first Iowa Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate since former Senator Tom Harkin left office. Harkin served in the Senate from 1985 through 2015.
Unofficial election results showed Turek receiving nearly 50% of the vote, compared to Hinson’s 47%, with 97% of Iowa precincts reporting. Libertarian candidate Thomas Laehn received just over 3%.
Turek will fill the Senate seat currently held by Republican Joni Ernst, who chose not to seek a third term. He will serve alongside Republican Senator Chuck Grassley.
During his victory speech, Turek thanked Iowa voters and described the outcome as proof that an underdog campaign could succeed.
“I’ll say it again, Iowa: You sure do love an underdog,” Turek told supporters.
Before entering politics, Turek competed as a member of the United States wheelchair basketball team, earning Paralympic gold medals in 2016 and 2020. Born with spina bifida, he was elected to the Iowa House in 2022, representing Council Bluffs, after a recount confirmed his victory by six votes.
Turek also reflected on the connection between his election and Harkin, who joined him on stage during his victory speech. Harkin was the lead author of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.
Turek credited Harkin’s work with helping improve opportunities for Americans with disabilities, including himself.
Hinson, who has represented Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House since 2021, conceded the race Tuesday night. In her remarks, she thanked supporters and said she hoped both candidates could move forward after the campaign.
“Tonight, I hope that we can agree on this, that the campaign is behind us and the work of serving the people of Iowa remains ahead,” Hinson said.
The Senate race drew significant national attention and campaign spending in the weeks leading up to Election Day. President Donald Trump made campaign appearances in Iowa in support of Hinson and other Republican candidates.
The campaign also included disagreements over congressional stock trading, Hinson’s financial disclosures and Turek’s voting attendance record in the Iowa Legislature. Turek’s campaign disputed some of the criticisms directed at him during the race.
Hinson previously served in the Iowa House of Representatives from 2017 to 2021 before being elected to Congress. Prior to entering politics, she worked as a television news anchor.
With the election results still unofficial, Turek’s victory marks a change in Iowa’s representation in the U.S. Senate and returns a Democrat to the state’s Senate delegation for the first time in more than a decade.
