Democrat wins tight Senate race in Iowa

Iowa has not elected a Democratic senator since 2008, when Tom Harkin won his fifth consecutive term. Harkin remained in office until January 2015. Since then, the state has been represented by Republicans, first by Joni Ernst and also by Chuck Grassley.

Iowa is traditionally Republican and gave Donald Trump victory by 13 percentage points in 2024. Even so, the state began to be considered competitive in the 2026 elections, amid the president's falling popularity and the discontent of some voters with the economy.

Republican Hinson has been a federal deputy since 2021, was a television presenter and is an ally of Trump. She bet on her conservative profile and experience in Washington in her search for a term in the Senate.

During the campaign, the deputy sought to defend the president's policies, but also stated that she would be willing to contradict him when decisions were harmful to the state.

On the other side, Turek is a state deputy and two-time Paralympic wheelchair basketball champion. The Democrat tried to present himself as a moderate candidate, capable of dialoguing with voters from different political backgrounds.

According to the newspaper "The New York Times", Turek criticized the trade tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which especially affect farmers, and pointed to the drop in agricultural prices and the increase in production costs, such as diesel and fertilizers, as problems for the sector.

Hinson, in turn, defended the president's economic measures and stated that the tax cuts provided for in the government's budget package mainly benefited the middle class.

In a televised debate, Turek criticized Hinson for supporting Trump's measures related to the conflict and stated that the war had consequences for Americans' pockets, including fuel prices.

Another point of confrontation was Medicaid, a public healthcare program in the United States aimed mainly at low-income people and people with disabilities.

Turek criticized the cuts to the program provided for in Trump's package, while Hinson defended the legislation and said he supports holding large health plans accountable for denials and delays in care.

Despite the attacks between the candidates, the debates were marked by a relatively moderate tone and discussions about proposals.

The two also defended the creation of limits on the number of terms of congressmen, in a state whose senator is Chuck Grassley, a 93-year-old Republican who has been in federal politics since 1958.

Polls released during the campaign pointed to a scenario of a technical tie between Hinson and Turek, making Iowa one of the states that could influence the balance of forces in the American Congress.