Iowa: Democrat Josh Turek to face Trump-backed Ashley Hinson in bid to flip red Senate seat | Iowa
Iowa voters cast their ballots in Tuesday’s heated primary and are preparing for months of heated campaigning for contests that could determine the balance of power in Congress ahead of the November midterm elections.
Democrats, a red state where the GOP has dominated for the past decade, believe they can be competitive in three of four House races, Senate elections and the race to replace retiring Republican governor Kim Reynolds.
Here’s who came to the fore in the primary election results Confirmed by Associated Press:
US Senate
Leveraging millions of dollars in outside spending and the support of a number of top Democrats, state House representative Josh Turek won the Democratic primary in the race to replace retiring Republican senator Joni Ernst.
In a proxy battle that showed which direction the party would take, he defeated state senator Zach Wahls, who presented himself to voters as an outsider who would oppose party elites, including U.S. Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, whom he accused of weakening the party.
The primary between the two men became controversial as Wahls claimed his opponent was the Democratic establishment favorite, pointing out that VoteVets, a Pac that previously received money from Schumer’s campaign fund, had spent more than $5 million promoting Turek.
Turek said he is a more electable candidate because he came to power in a conservative district of western Iowa, while Wahls represents a liberal district in eastern Iowa.
Turek will face Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson, who Donald Trump has endorsed to replace Ernst.
US House of Representatives
Democrats believe they have a chance to win three of Iowa’s four House seats, putting the state at the center of their hopes of regaining control of the chamber.
In southeast Iowa’s first congressional district, vulnerable incumbent Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks won her primary, defeating right-wing challenger David Pautsch.
Christina Bohannan won the Democratic primary, sending the University of Iowa law professor running for a third term in 2024 against Miller-Meeks, whom she lost by nearly 800 votes.
In the third congressional district around Des Moines, incumbent Zach Nunn won the Republican primary, while state Sen. Sarah Trone Garriott won the Democratic nomination.
As Hinson runs for the Senate, his seat in northeast Iowa’s second congressional district also opens. Republicans nominated former state representative Joe Mitchell to replace him, while Democrats chose state representative Lindsay James.
In northwest Iowa’s fourth congressional district, Republicans nominated Chris McGowan to replace incumbent Randy Feenstra, who is running for governor. Democrats chose Dave Dawson, who faces major challenges in winning the heavily Republican seat.
This story will be updated as more races are called…
