IOWA · 2026U.S. SENATE2026 ELECTION GUIDE
IOWA U.S. SENATOR
Review each position against the same issue statement.
ASHLEY HINSONR

JOSH TUREKD
COST OF LIVING: Expansive Govt Spending Unfairly Burdens Taxpayers
Rein in government spending & programs. Expansive government spending drives up taxes & inflation & takes money out of the pockets of taxpaying citizens.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (4)
"I support the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency to cut costs and waste in the federal government." Hinson also said, "The amazing amount of fraud, waste, and abuse that is being uncovered... they're being very, very transparent."
"Today, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) introduced the Protecting American Taxpayers from Wasteful Spending Act, which would codify President Trump's executive order from March 25th, 2025, promoting financial integrity, transparency, and efficiency by improving the Department of the Treasury’s ability to screen for improper payments and fraud, track transactions, and manage the government’s disbursements."
"My commitment to American taxpayers is to protect their hard-earned dollars by rooting out the rampant waste, fraud, and abuse in Washington."
H.R.2597 - Protecting American Taxpayers from Wasteful Spending Act
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (2)
During the debate, Turek criticized efforts by the Trump administration to reduce federal programs and argued that government should remain capable of delivering essential public services rather than pursuing sweeping reductions.
"Restore full funding for Medicaid for the 110,000 Iowans who are at risk of losing access to health care due to cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill that Ashley Hinson voted for."
IMMIGRATION: Support Mass Amnesty
Provide illegal immigrants who are already in the US a faster path to citizenship than those following the existing legal process.
ASHLEY HINSONDISAGREEView sources (2)
Statement on H.R. 6, American Dream and Promise Act: "Today, I opposed legislation that would grant mass amnesty for illegal immigrants. It is unfair to allow those who came here illegally to cut the line ahead of those who are following our country's rules and pursuing the legal immigration process."
Voted NO on H.R. 6- Dream Act: statement on H.R. 6, American Dream and Promise Act.
JOSH TUREKAGREEView sources (2)
"We deserve a functional immigration system that keeps our borders secure and enforces our laws and simplifies the path to citizenship – two goals that are not mutually exclusive. That’s why Josh will work across the aisle to find bipartisan solutions for Iowa. Josh has spoken out against abuses of power from ICE agents, and believes we need an immigration system that provides a pathway to citizenship."
Turek stated, "...we need to have safe and secure borders, but we also need to have a far easier pathway to citizenship.”
GENDER ISSUES: Citizens Should Pay For Sex Changes for Others
Allow taxpayer-funded sex-change operations.
ASHLEY HINSONDISAGREEView sources (2)
Voted YES on H.R. 498, Do No Harm in Medicaid Act: prohibits federal Medicaid payment for specified gender transition procedures for individuals under the age of 18. The bill defines these procedures to mean those that are intended to change the body of an individual to no longer correspond to the individual's biological sex (male or female), including specified surgeries, implants, and medications (e.g., hormones)."
Voted YES on H.R. 3492- Protect Children’s Innocence Act: "This bill establishes federal criminal offenses for providing gender-affirming care to minors. The bill also changes the existing federal criminal offense that prohibits female genital mutilation (FGM) and related conduct."
JOSH TUREKAGREEView sources (1)
Voted "NAY" on HF 1049: prohibited state General Fund money appropriated to Iowa’s Medicaid program from reimbursing “sex reassignment surgery or associated procedures, including hormone therapy or other medical interventions intended to alter primary or secondary sex characteristics.”
PARENTS' RIGHTS: Defer to Parents on Gender & Sexual Ideology
It is not government's role to teach/promote views on sexual & gender ideology. Parents have a right to know. Government/schools defer to parents.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (3)
"I applaud our legislature and our governor for taking action to protect students to protect parents' rights, and they've really prioritized that in the legislature,"
Bill Cosponsorship of H.R.5 - Parents Bill of Rights Act: "This bill establishes various rights of parents and guardians regarding the public elementary or secondary school education (including secondary career and technical education) of their children. Local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools must comply with the requirements of the bill in order to receive federal education funds."
"As the mom of two boys, I couldn't be prouder that we passed the Parents Bill of Rights and reaffirmed that parents -- not school boards, and not the government -- are the primary stakeholders in their children's education. When you have school boards, like Linn-Mar, instituting radical policies that allow children to change their gender identity at school without parental notification or consent, you're going to see mama bears like me take action. Parents will not be sidelined as woke school boards try to box us out of decisions that impact our children's well-being. I will continue working to expand educational opportunities for all students and protect parental rights." -
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (2)
Voted NO on SF 496: a bill requiring schools to notify parents when students request different names or pronouns and restricting K–6 instruction on gender identity and sexual orientation.
Voted NO on HF 2557 -Aimed to amend Iowa Code 232.68 to ensure that raising, guiding, or instructing a child consistent with the child's sex is not classified as child abuse — including using pronouns consistent with the child's sex and seeking mental health services to help a child live consistent with their sex — and to bar courts from weighing it as a negative factor in custody under 598.41. (Journal pp. 550-551)
HEALTHCARE COSTS: Choice & Competition, Not Govt Control
More govt funding/control will diminish care/restrict options. Reduce Medicaid spending by rooting out fraud while protecting coverage for the vulnerable. Market-based approach will lower prices/expand options.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (2)
Voted YES on H.R. 1 - One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which enacted cuts to Medicaid to address waste, fraud and abuse.
Described the One Big Beautiful Bill Act as follows: "This transformative legislation enacts tax cuts for working Iowans, permanently secures the border, and strengthens Medicaid for vulnerable populations while rooting out waste, fraud, and abuse."
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (1)
"Restore full funding for Medicaid for the 110,000 Iowans who are at risk of losing access to health care due to cuts in the Big Beautiful Bill that Ashley Hinson voted for."
CRIMINAL JUSTICE: Support Imposing Mandatory Minimum Bail
Support imposing mandatory minimum cash bail for certain violent offenders.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (1)
Voted YES on H.R. 5214, a 2026 federal measure imposing mandatory pretrial detention and cash-bail requirements for certain offenses in Washington, D.C.
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (1)
Turek voted AGAINST SF 2399, which imposed minimum cash-bail requirements for certain violent felonies.
KEEP MEN OUT OF WOMEN'S SPACES & SPORTS
Prohibit males identifying as females from using female restrooms and locker rooms and from playing in women's sports.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (4)
“Girls should not be forced to compete against a biological boy in sports or forced to change in the same locker room as a boy. Nor should parents have to lose sleep over whether their daughters will get a fair chance to compete in the sports they’re passionate about – let alone worry about their safety or privacy. I will continue working to protect girls’ sports and women’s spaces, and I will never bow down to the radical left’s woke ideology that defies common sense.”
"Let me be clear: biological men should not compete in girls' sports or be allowed in girls' locker rooms. I will always stand up for women and girls and call out the Biden Administration's radical nonsense."
"Amazing news from the Supreme Court and a victory for common sense! Girls’ sports are for girls. We have to protect our daughters and keep them safe - in sports and in all private spaces, including locker rooms and bathrooms, meant for biological girls only."
Voted YES on H.R.28 Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act — limits female school sports to students of the female sex (based on biology at birth).
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (3)
Voted "NAY" on SF 482: prohibited students from using school restrooms, changing areas, and similar facilities that did not correspond with their biological sex.
"Also, I think about all these individuals with disabilities who may have a caretaker with them who may need to go in there who is of the opposite sex. I also just have this real difficulty to understand bills and policy that, one, are mean-spirited, but two, they are specific to going after a minority group."
Voted NO on SF 418: defined sex in biological terms and removed gender identity from Iowa’s civil-rights protections, intended to preserve Iowa’s existing restroom and sports restrictions.
GUN CONFISCATION: Red-Flag Laws
Government may take guns from law-abiding citizens without proving criminality.
ASHLEY HINSONDISAGREEView sources (4)
Democrats are pushing gun control legislation that would trample on our #2A rights. The bills do nothing to stop the bad guys from illegally purchasing guns – they punish law abiding gun owners. I’ll always stand up for Iowans’ #2A rights in Washington.""
"The bills Democrats put forward would punish law-abiding gun owners in Iowa without actually doing anything to prevent bad guys from illegally purchasing guns. These bills trample on the Constitutional rights of Iowans and I strongly opposed them. I will always make sure that law abiding Iowans’ Second Amendment Rights are upheld."
Voted NO on H.R.1808: "This bill makes it a crime to knowingly import, sell, manufacture, transfer, or possess a semiautomatic assault weapon (SAW) or large capacity ammunition feeding device (LCAFD)."
"The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right that is not to be infringed. Law-abiding gun owners should not be forced to pay an unconstitutional firearm tax. This bill will remove unnecessary financial barriers on lawful gun owners from the antiquated 1934 National Firearms Act and protect the Second Amendment rights of Iowans and Americans.” -
JOSH TUREKAGREEView sources (2)
Voted NO on HF 2718. This “Anti-Red Flag Law” would have prohibited Iowa officials from confiscating firearms from people who were not otherwise prohibited from possessing guns without first proving criminality.
Voted NO on HF 654: a firearms omnibus bill that expanded the ability to keep firearms and ammunition inside locked vehicles in publicly accessible parking lots, including certain school, college and correctional-facility properties.
RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: Right to Opt Out of Activities that Violate One's Faith
Protect the citizens'/business owners' right to opt out of providing services that violate their faith or conscience. Government may not compel speech.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (2)
“There is absolutely no place in our society for bigotry or hate, and no one should face discrimination of any kind. There are already existing legal protections for those who have experienced discrimination under federal law. The Equality Act undermines the First Amendment and threatens religious liberty, and I will oppose it.”
“Those who choose not to get the COVID-19 vaccine for religious reasons should be able to do so without fear of the government putting their information in a database. Any form of database tracking religious beliefs flies in the face of our First Amendment—U.S. citizens are guaranteed the right to make their own medical decisions without fear of government reprisal. The Religious Freedom Over Mandates Act will ensure that no federal funding is used to track those who opt for a religious exemption from the COVID-19 vaccines.”
JOSH TUREKDISAGREEView sources (2)
Voted NO on SF 2095: state action may not substantially burden a person’s exercise of religion unless the government demonstrates a compelling interest and uses the least-restrictive means, also created a legal claim or defense for people whose religious exercise was substantially burdened.
Voted NO on HF 571: concerned protections for medical practitioners and institutions involving “the exercise of conscience” and free speech. Its protections covered objections based on ethical, moral or religious convictions
ELECTION SECURITY: Voter ID & Proof of Citizenship to Vote
Make voter ID mandatory to vote. Require documentary proof of citizenship to register to vote.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (2)
“Voting is a sacred right for American citizens, and illegal immigrants should never have the opportunity to vote in our elections. The Biden Administration has allowed millions of illegal immigrants into our country, and we must ensure illegals cannot register to vote and sway our elections. It tells you everything you need to know that the Biden Administration opposes this commonsense effort and wants to maintain loopholes that allow illegal immigrants to vote while keeping our Southern Border wide open. I will continue fighting to preserve election integrity and prevent illegal immigrants from voting."
Voted YES on H.R.22 - SAVE Act: "This bill requires individuals to provide documentary proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote in federal elections. Specifically, the bill prohibits states from accepting and processing an application to register to vote in a federal election unless the applicant presents documentary proof of U.S. citizenship."
JOSH TUREKUNKNOWNView sources (2)
News report (by reporter Hailey Peck) covering an Oct. 17, 2024 candidate forum hosted by the American Association of University Women (AAUW) in Council Bluffs. When candidates were asked what they'd do to increase voter access, the article states:
"Turek, the incumbent Democrat in Iowa House District 20, suggested that voters should be automatically registered to vote upon getting their driver's license, similar to Colorado."
“He’ll defend the right to vote and support legislation like the Freedom to Vote Act and the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act...” (legislation that would allow voting without mandatory ID and approaches certain changes to voter ID requirements as discriminatory)
BABIES BORN ALIVE: Require Medical Care for Babies who Survive Abortion
Babies born alive after surviving a failed abortion attempt have the right to life-saving medical care.
ASHLEY HINSONAGREEView sources (3)
Voted "YEA" on H.R. 21, Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act: This bill establishes requirements for the degree of care a health care practitioner must provide in the case of a child born alive following an abortion or attempted abortion.
Bill Cosponsorship of H.R. 21 as of Jan. 16, 2025. "H.R. 21 requires practitioners to provide “the same degree of professional skill, care, and diligence” to preserve the child’s life and health after a live birth following an abortion attempt."
Hinson voted "YEA" on the prior version, H.R. 26, in 2023.
JOSH TUREKUNKNOWN