Hinson and Turek's Voting Records Compared as Iowa Candidates Take Swipes
The voting history of both candidates has come under scrutiny as each criticizes the other’s attendance record.
As the 2026 Iowa Senate race heats up, candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek are engaging in heated debates over each other's voting records. Iowa's congressional seat is up for grabs after Joni Ernst announced her retirement. Both Hinson, a Republican representing Iowa in the U.S. House, and Turek, a Democrat and state representative, are vying for control of the seat.
Hinson has taken particular aim at Turek's attendance this year, claiming he has missed 58 percent of the votes at the Iowa Statehouse. In a social media post, Hinson blasted Turek for missing crucial votes on issues such as welfare benefits for illegal immigrants, gender identity protections for students, and law enforcement cooperation with ICE. She urged Iowans to consider Turek's poor attendance record when voting.
Turek's campaign, however, dismissed Hinson's claims, stating that she has also missed votes since her election to Congress in 2021. They claimed she missed almost 200 votes and cited examples like voting to protect children from AI child pornography and holding Jeffrey Epstein accountable. The campaign further accused Hinson of being one of "the least bipartisan members of the Iowa Congressional delegation."
The candidates have been trading harsh words over various topics, but attendance has emerged as a recent point of contention. Turek's campaign claimed in September that Hinson had missed 163 committee votes and 33 floor votes since her election, a fact check by Politifact confirmed. In contrast, Turek missed 261 out of 445 votes during the current legislative session, according to Politifact's fact check.
As the midterm elections approach on November 3, early voting begins on October 14, and polls suggest a tight race between the two candidates. Rasmussen Reports and Fox News polls both show Turek leading Hinson by small margins, while other polls have Hinson slightly ahead. The candidates' differing accounts of who has missed more votes adds another layer to the already contentious race.
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