Race · November 3, 2026

U.S. Senate · Iowa

3 candidates on the ballot — an open seat, with no incumbent running.1

§1Candidates

Why this matters: Every candidate the state lists for this race on the November ballot, in the state's own order.

Ashley Hinson
Republican · Open seat
Currently serves in the U.S. House, representing Iowa's 2nd District.
Josh Turek
Democratic · Open seat
Thomas Laehn
Libertarian · Open seat

§2Side by side

Why this matters: The same facts for every candidate, in the same order. Where we found nothing for a candidate, the cell says so — that means we didn't find it in public sources, not that it doesn't exist.

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Ashley HinsonJosh TurekThomas Laehn
Party on the ballotRepublican1Democratic1Libertarian1
StatusOpen seat2Open seatOpen seat
Raised$14,147,973 through October 14, 20263$24,290,521 through October 14, 20264$61,146 through October 14, 20265
Cash on hand$2,172,9893$3,072,8514$9,0355
Outside spending$17,439,890 for · $58,346,481 against6$36,041,023 for · $65,032,689 against7$427,602 for · $0 against8
Birth control and IVFHer campaign website says she has worked to expand over-the-counter access to birth control, and her affordability plan calls for making safe birth control available over the counter for adult women.9,10His campaign website says he would protect access to contraception and IVF.11Not found in the public sources we checked
Who sets abortion lawNot found in the public sources we checked
A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
His campaign website says he would make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again.11
Leave abortion law to each state
His campaign website says Congress should have no role in regulating abortion and that abortion policy should be left to the states.12
Campaign finance rulesNot found in the public sources we checked
Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
His campaign website says he supports a constitutional amendment to reverse Citizens United, a ban on corporate PAC money in campaigns and the DISCLOSE Act, and that in the Iowa House he sponsored legislation to cap how much can be given to individual campaigns and political committees.11
Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
His campaign website says he would sponsor legislation to end what it calls the corrupting role of PACs and super PACs in elections.12
Stock trading by members of Congress
Ban members themselves from trading individual stocks
Her campaign website says members of Congress should be banned from trading individual stocks and betting on prediction markets.9
Ban members and their spouses and dependent children from owning or trading individual stocks
His campaign website says members of Congress and their spouses should be banned from trading stocks.11		Not found in the public sources we checked
Child care costsHer campaign website says she would make child care more affordable by expanding tax relief for working families, supporting parents who work nontraditional hours and encouraging employers to invest in child care, and says she has introduced and supported bipartisan legislation to improve child care access for working families in Iowa; her affordability plan adds modernizing federal child care grants so the money reaches communities faster.9,10,13His campaign website says he would lower child care costs.11Not found in the public sources we checked
Who decides on military actionNot found in the public sources we checkedHis campaign website says he is the lead Democratic sponsor of a bipartisan Iowa bill that would bar sending Iowa National Guard members into active combat unless Congress has declared war.11
Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
His campaign website says he would work to bring troops home and to block wars started by presidents without the consent of Congress.12
Help for first-time homebuyersHer campaign website says first-time homebuyers should be able to save tax-free for a down payment through the First Home Savings Opportunity Act.9His campaign website says that in the Iowa House he sponsored legislation to cut taxes for first-time homebuyers.11Not found in the public sources we checked
Large investors buying single-family homesHer campaign website says large institutional investors should not be able to buy up single-family homes in Iowa neighborhoods.9His campaign website says he would ban Wall Street private equity firms from buying single-family homes and farmland, and that in the Iowa House he sponsored legislation to limit private equity's ability to buy up Iowa homes.11Not found in the public sources we checked
Immigration enforcement inside the countryHer campaign website says she would secure the southern border by enforcing immigration laws and deporting dangerous immigrants here illegally who have committed crimes.9His campaign website says people who come here illegally and commit crimes should be deported, and that ICE agents should face regulation and accountability.11Not found in the public sources we checked
Gas tax and road funding
Cut or suspend the federal gas tax
Her campaign's affordability plan calls for temporarily suspending the federal gas tax, along with the state gas tax.10
Cut or suspend the federal gas tax
His campaign's fuel-price plan calls for temporarily suspending the federal gas tax, along with tapping the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and pausing all diesel exports.14		Not found in the public sources we checked
Federal spending levelsHer campaign website says she would cut wasteful spending.9,15Not found in the public sources we checkedHis campaign website says he would vote against every funding measure that would increase the national debt, except in an extreme national emergency.12

Issues only one candidate has addressed

By candidate, in ballot order. We found nothing public from the other candidates in this race on these issues.

Ashley Hinson — 15 issues
  • Animal welfare laws
    Her campaign website says she opposes policies like California's Proposition 12, which it says hurt Iowa family farmers.9
  • Ethanol and biofuel requirements
    Expand biofuel use, such as by allowing E15 sales all year
    Her campaign website says she supports year-round sales of E15 and strengthening biofuels, and her affordability plan calls for restoring the $1-a-gallon biodiesel tax credit.9,10
  • Foreign ownership of farmland
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for protecting Iowa farmland from China and other foreign adversaries.10
  • Classroom teaching on race, gender and sexuality
    Her campaign website says parents should have a stronger voice and more transparency in their children's schools, citing what it describes as policies in some Iowa schools that let children secretly change their gender identity at school.9
  • Permitting for energy projects
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for more permitting reform to allow more refining capacity and domestic energy production.10
  • Child tax credit
    Keep the credit as set in 2025
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for protecting the enhanced child tax credit.10
  • Economic ties with China
    Her campaign website says she would hold China accountable for taking American jobs and innovation, buying American farmland and using unfair trade practices.9
  • Zoning and new housing
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for cutting red tape to spur more housing construction, including through bipartisan permitting reform.10
  • Income tax on Social Security benefits
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for making no tax on Social Security permanent.10
  • Social Security benefit levels
    Her campaign website says she would defend Social Security and Medicare benefits while rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in those programs.9
  • Business tax breaks
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for defending the tax cuts for small businesses.10
  • Federal income tax rates
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for making the tax cuts for working families permanent.10
  • State government spending
    Her campaign website lists balancing the budget and cutting taxes among her accomplishments as a state representative.13
  • Targeted tax breaks for individuals and families
    Add or expand breaks for costs such as education savings, adoption and selling a home
    Her campaign's affordability plan would let working parents use tax-free dollars in 529 accounts to pay for child care and would let Iowans save more money tax-free for a down payment.10
  • Taxes on tips and overtime
    Make the tax break permanent or expand it
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for making no tax on tips and overtime permanent.10
Josh Turek — 21 issues
  • Abortion law
    Legal until about 24 weeks, as under Roe v. Wade, and later to protect the woman's life or health
    His campaign website says he would make Roe v. Wade the law of the land again, and that he wrote and sponsored legislation to repeal Iowa's abortion ban.11
  • Ethics rules for Supreme Court justices
    His campaign website says ethics standards should be enforced on Supreme Court justices.11
  • Supreme Court term limits
    Set fixed terms, such as 18 years
    His campaign website says he supports term limits for Supreme Court justices.11
  • National Guard troops in cities
    Send troops only when a state's governor asks for them or agrees
    His campaign website says he is the lead Democratic sponsor of a bipartisan Iowa bill that would bar sending Iowa National Guard members into another state without that state governor's permission.11
  • Federal minimum wage
    His campaign website says he would raise the minimum wage and tie future raises to inflation.11
  • Tariffs
    His campaign website says he would end the tariffs it says are pushing farms toward a crisis like the one in the 1980s.11
  • Union organizing rules
    Make it easier to form a union (for example, the PRO Act)
    His campaign website says he would pass the PRO Act to strengthen unions and protect collective bargaining.11
  • US Department of Education
    Keep the department and its programs, or expand it
    His campaign website says he would restore Department of Education funding.11
  • Vouchers and education savings accounts
    No public money for private school or homeschooling costs
    His campaign website says he would end school vouchers, and that in the Iowa House he sponsored legislation to repeal them.11,16
  • Term limits for Congress
    His campaign website says he supports term limits for members of Congress.11
  • Food assistance (SNAP)
    Undo the 2025 changes or expand benefits and eligibility
    His campaign website says he would repeal cuts to SNAP.11
  • Paid family and medical leave
    His campaign website says every Iowan should have access to paid family and medical leave.11
  • Same-sex marriage
    Keep same-sex marriage legal in every state
    His campaign website says he would defend Americans' right to marry who they love.11
  • ACA premium tax credits
    His campaign website says he would protect and expand the Affordable Care Act for the 118,000 Iowans it says rely on its subsidies.11
  • Federal Medicaid funding
    Reverse the 2025 changes or increase federal funding
    His campaign website says he would restore full Medicaid funding for the 110,000 Iowans it says could lose coverage because of cuts in the law known as the Big Beautiful Bill.11
  • Health insurance system
    Add a government plan that anyone can choose to buy
    His campaign website says he would introduce a public option so every Iowan has access to health care.11
  • Legal status for immigrants here without permission, including Dreamers
    A path to citizenship for most who meet requirements such as background checks
    His campaign website says he supports bipartisan immigration legislation that strengthens the border and simplifies an earned path to citizenship.11
  • Medicare drug price negotiation
    Expand it to more drugs and to people with private insurance
    His campaign website says he would defend and expand Medicare's power to negotiate lower drug prices.11
  • State minimum wage
    His campaign website says that in the Iowa House he sponsored bills to raise the minimum wage.11
  • Preventing government shutdowns
    His campaign website says members of Congress should have their pay suspended and travel banned during a government shutdown.11
  • VA staffing
    Hire more VA staff, including to replace jobs lost in 2025
    His campaign website says he would reverse cuts to VA staffing and health care.11
Thomas Laehn — 3 issues
  • Marijuana laws
    His campaign website says the first bill he would introduce would decriminalize the possession and use of marijuana.12
  • Legal immigration levels
    Admit more immigrants, such as by adding work visas or clearing family backlogs
    His campaign website says he would fight for a secure border and to raise or eliminate caps on the number of people who can immigrate legally.12
  • Balanced budget amendment
    Add a balanced budget requirement to the Constitution
    His campaign website says he would fight for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.12

Issue statements are drafted by AI from the public sources cited, and only cover what each candidate has said publicly.