Republican Ashley Hinson of Marion, a candidate for the U.S. Senate, has submitted over 15,000 petition signatures to qualify for the 2026 GOP Primary ballot.
“We’ve really built a movement of people who are sick and tired of the way Washington, D.C.’s chaos and dysfunction has been running and who will not rest until our nation’s capitol runs a whole lot more like Iowa,” Hinson said.
Hinson, a former TV journalist, served two terms in the Iowa House and she’s been a member of the U.S. House since 2021. Hinson announced her campaign for the U.S. Senate a few hours after Iowa Senator Joni Ernst said she would not seek reelection. Hinson, who held a brief news conference in the Iowa Capitol today, said over the past six month she’s built a coalition that will be an asset to other Republica candidates in the fall election. “This is Ashley’s Army of pepole who are going to be out telling that story, just like I will be as top-of-ticket and working with our colleagues up and down the ballot to continue to share the contrast of our vision for the state and the country and what those on the other side of the aisle are proposing,” Hinson said. ‘
During an appearance early this morning at the Westside Conservative Club, Hinson said she’s held events in 65 of Iowa’s 99 counties so far to hear what Iowans are concerned about. “They are making sure we have a safe country, making sure we have a secure border and we’re deporting these dangerous illegals out of our communities,” Hinson said. “We all saw what happened in M with some of these thugs that they have arrested and deported. Some of those very people are hiding in Iowa. We need to do everything we can to deport the dangerous illegals from our communities.”
Hinson said Iowans tell her their other priorities are ensuring only girls participate in girls’ sports, standing up for farmers, protecting Social Security and Medicare — but first and foremost, protecting tapayers. A man in the crowd asked why Republicans in congress “don’t stick together” like Democrats do.
“Trust me. I look forward to serving in the Senate because there’s a little less chaos over there than there is in the House and frankly I went to Washington to get things done and I find it frustrating when we have some obstructionists (for whom) good is the enemy of perfect,” Hinson said. “I will always vote for the most conservative bill we can get consensus on. That has always been my philosophy.”
Republican Jim Carlin of Sergeant Bluff has also been campaigning for the U.S. Senate, however Hinson has been endorsed by President Trump and has raised far more money for her race. Two candidates are competing in the June 2 primary for the Iowa Democratic Party’s nomination for U.S. Senate.