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U.S. Senate · Iowa

Statewide, Iowa

General election · Tuesday, November 3, 2026

RESULT · UNOFFICIAL UNTIL CERTIFIED

Josh Turek, projected winner

CandidateVotesShare
Josh Turek688,24050.5%
Ashley Hinson631,17946.4%
Thomas Laehn42,1213.1%

About 99% of the expected vote counted. As of November 9. Winners take office next year. Counts can change until states certify. NBC News ↗

Sources re-checked September 25, 2026 · How we research

  • Incumbent Joni Ernst (R), first elected in 2014, is not running for re-election. Ernst endorsed Hinson on January 10, 2026.[1]
  • Hinson defeated Jim Carlin 74.0%–25.7% in the June 2, 2026 Republican primary. Turek defeated Zach Wahls 62.6%–37.3% in the June 2, 2026 Democratic primary. Laehn advanced from the Libertarian Party convention on May 2, 2026.[1]
  • As of June 30, 2026, Turek had raised $3.91 million and Hinson had raised $6.75 million in disbursements/receipts as reported by Ballotpedia; Laehn's campaign reported $54,429 in contributions and $46,095 in expenditures as of the same period.[1]

On the November 3 ballot · 3 candidates

Josh TurekDPROJECTED WINNERMember, Iowa House of Representatives, District 20 (since 2023)Full profile →Ashley HinsonRU.S. Representative, Iowa's 2nd District (since 2021)Full profile →Thomas LaehnLIBGreene County Attorney, IowaFull profile →

Issue evidence — side by side

Recorded votes, documented positions and candidates’ own words are shown with sources. “In their own words” quotes a candidate on the topic without inferring a stance. Votes describe specific bills or motions; they do not establish overall support or opposition to a broad issue. A dash means our research has no evidence on that topic, not that the candidate has no position.

Protect legal access to abortion

  • Josh Turek
    Supports[4]

    Turek says women should make decisions about their reproductive health care, not politicians, and sponsored legislation in the Iowa House to repeal Iowa's near-total abortion ban.

  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[37][38]

    Voted no on Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 (H.R. 3755, 2021-09-24). Voted no on Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 (H.R. 8296, 2022-07-15).

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Stricter gun laws

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[35][36]

    Voted no on Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 (H.R. 1808, 2022-07-29), which would have banned the sale of many semiautomatic assault weapons. Voted no on Bipartisan Safer Communities Act (S. 2938, 2022-06-24), which expanded background checks for buyers under 21 and funded state red-flag programs.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Expand immigration enforcement and deportations

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[22][23][24][25][26][27]

    Voted yes on Laken Riley Act (S. 5, 2025-01-22). Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which funded expanded immigration enforcement, detention and border operations. Voted yes on Secure the Border Act of 2023 (H.R. 2, 2023-05-11). Voted no on American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 (H.R. 6, 2021-03-18).

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Raise taxes on high earners or corporations

  • Josh Turek
    Supports[4]

    Turek's platform calls for closing tax loopholes for billionaires and large corporations and strengthening Social Security by requiring billionaires to pay their fair share.

  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[23][24][25][31]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which made the 2017 individual tax rates, including the 37% top rate, permanent. Voted no on Inflation Reduction Act (H.R. 5376, 2022-08-12), which added a 15% minimum tax on large corporations and a stock-buyback excise tax.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Expand public health coverage

  • Josh Turek
    Supports[4]

    Turek's platform calls for restoring full Medicaid funding, expanding the Affordable Care Act, and introducing a public health insurance option.

  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[23][24][25][29]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which reduced federal Medicaid spending and added Medicaid work requirements. Voted no on Breaking the Gridlock Act (H.R. 1834, 2026-01-08), which extended enhanced ACA premium subsidies.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Faster transition away from fossil fuels

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[23][24][25][30][31]

    Voted yes on One Big Beautiful Bill Act (H.R. 1, 2025-05-22; 2025-07-03), which phased out Inflation Reduction Act clean-energy tax credits. Voted no on Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376, 2021-11-19; 2022-08-12), which would have funded clean-energy tax credits.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Raise the minimum wage

  • Josh Turek
    Supports[4]

    Turek's platform calls for raising the federal minimum wage and tying future increases to inflation.

  • Ashley Hinson
    —
  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Broad tariffs on imported goods

  • Josh Turek
    Opposes[4]

    Turek's platform calls for ending the current tariffs, citing their effect on Iowa farms.

  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[34]

    Voted no on Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada (H.J. Res. 72, 2026-02-11), which disapproved the tariffs on Canadian imports.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Universal, publicly funded child care

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[30]

    Voted no on Build Back Better Act (H.R. 5376, 2021-11-19), which would have funded universal pre-K and child-care subsidies.

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[28]

    Voted yes on SAVE Act (H.R. 22, 2025-04-10).

  • Thomas Laehn
    —

Require Congress to approve U.S. military action abroad

  • Josh Turek
    —
  • Ashley Hinson
    Recorded votes[32][33]

    Voted no on War Powers Resolution on Venezuela (H. Con. Res. 64, 2025-12-17), which would have directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Venezuela absent congressional authorization. Voted no on War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities (H. Con. Res. 86, 2026-06-03), which directed the removal of U.S. forces from hostilities against Iran absent congressional authorization.

  • Thomas Laehn
    Supports[7]

    In his Ballotpedia survey, says he would work to block wars declared by presidents without the consent of Congress.

Research notes & limits

Turek's platform positions and record items are sourced from his campaign website and Ballotpedia's summary of his Iowa House record; the Iowa House bill-sponsorship claims are as described by Ballotpedia's race summary, not independently verified against bill text. Laehn's research is minimal: no active 2026 Senate campaign website or issue statements were found; the site available under his name promotes an earlier county-attorney campaign, so his positions are omitted rather than inferred. Biography gaps: Laehn's biography rests on his Ballotpedia survey (no news profile or 2026 campaign site found), and Hinson's and Turek's birth, early-life and Iowa House details partly rely on Wikipedia where no official page states them.

Sources · 43

Researched 2026-09-25. Green citations are official government records.

  1. 1.United States Senate election in Iowa, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  2. 2.Ashley Hinson · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  3. 3.Issues · Ashley Hinson for Iowa (campaign site) · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  4. 4.Platform · Josh Turek for Iowa (campaign site) · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  5. 5.Josh Turek · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  6. 6.Defending Life — Rep. Ashley Hinson · Office of Rep. Ashley Hinson Official record
  7. 7.Thomas Laehn · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
  8. 8.United States Senate election in Iowa, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  9. 9.Platform · Josh Turek for Iowa (campaign site) · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  10. 10.Josh Turek · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  11. 11.Meet Josh Turek · Josh Turek for Iowa (campaign website) Candidate's own words
  12. 12.Josh Turek · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  13. 13.Iowa U.S. Senate election results 2026 · NBC News News report
  14. 14.United States Senate election in Iowa, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  15. 15.Ashley Hinson · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  16. 16.About · Office of Rep. Ashley Hinson, U.S. House of Representatives Official record
  17. 17.Ashley Hinson · Wikipedia · 2026-10-21 Reference
  18. 18.U.S. Senate · Iowa results 2026 · NBC News News report
  19. 19.H.R. 22, the SAVE Act (SAVE Act) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  20. 20.H.R. 7296, the SAVE America Act (SAVE America Act) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  21. 21.H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2025) — sponsors and cosponsors · Congress.gov Official record
  22. 22.Roll call: Laken Riley Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-01-22 Official record
  23. 23.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-05-22 Official record
  24. 24.H.R. 1 (119th Congress) — One Big Beautiful Bill Act: text and summary · Congress.gov Official record
  25. 25.Roll call: One Big Beautiful Bill Act — final passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-07-03 Official record
  26. 26.Roll call: Secure the Border Act of 2023 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2023-05-11 Official record
  27. 27.Roll call: American Dream and Promise Act of 2021 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-03-18 Official record
  28. 28.Roll call: SAVE Act — proof-of-citizenship voter registration · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-04-10 Official record
  29. 29.Roll call: Breaking the Gridlock Act — ACA subsidy extension · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-01-08 Official record
  30. 30.Roll call: Build Back Better Act — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-11-19 Official record
  31. 31.Roll call: Inflation Reduction Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-08-12 Official record
  32. 32.Roll call: War Powers Resolution on Venezuela · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2025-12-17 Official record
  33. 33.Roll call: War Powers Resolution directing removal of forces from Iran hostilities · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-06-03 Official record
  34. 34.Roll call: Resolution disapproving tariffs on Canada · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2026-02-11 Official record
  35. 35.Roll call: Assault Weapons Ban of 2022 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-07-29 Official record
  36. 36.Roll call: Bipartisan Safer Communities Act — final House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-06-24 Official record
  37. 37.Roll call: Women's Health Protection Act of 2021 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2021-09-24 Official record
  38. 38.Roll call: Women's Health Protection Act of 2022 — House passage · Office of the Clerk, U.S. House · 2022-07-15 Official record
  39. 39.United States Senate election in Iowa, 2026 · Ballotpedia · 2026-09-25 Reference
  40. 40.Thomas Laehn – For County Attorney · Citizens of Greene County for Thomas Laehn (campaign site) · 2026-09-25 Candidate's own words
  41. 41.Thomas Laehn · Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey · 2026-10-19 Candidate's own words
  42. 42.Iowa Libertarian attorney running against two-party system in campaign for U.S. Senate · KCRG · 2025-10-07 News report
  43. 43.U.S. Senate · Iowa results 2026 · NBC News News report