The 2026 Iowa Senate race: Josh Turek vs. Ashley Hinson

Active · last development Sep 23, 2026: “Nexstar's Iowa TV stations to air live debate between candidates for U.S. Senate”

What this arc covers

The 2026 race for the Iowa U.S. Senate seat Joni Ernst is leaving: Ernst's retirement, Josh Turek's Democratic primary win, and the Turek-Ashley Hinson general election.

Iowa

Earliest story we hold Aug 29, 2025 · 12 stories · 35 independent sources (counted once each) · 390 days

Part ofIowaUnited States SenateIranDemocratic PartyKamala HarrisTexasIraqDonald Trump

Part of The 2026 Senate races

  1. The 2026 Nebraska Senate race: Pete Ricketts vs. Dan OsbornJul 8, 2025 – Sep 16, 2026
  2. The 2026 North Carolina Senate race: Roy Cooper vs. Michael WhatleyJul 24, 2025 – Sep 28, 2026
  3. The 2026 Iowa Senate race: Josh Turek vs. Ashley HinsonThis arcAug 29, 2025 – Sep 23, 2026
  4. The 2026 Wyoming Senate race to succeed Cynthia LummisDec 19, 2025 – Aug 19, 2026
  5. The 2026 Alaska Senate race: Dan Sullivan vs. Mary PeltolaJan 12 – Sep 24, 2026
  6. The 2026 Louisiana Senate race: Bill Cassidy's primary defeatJan 18 – Jun 27, 2026
  7. The 2026 Texas Senate race: James Talarico vs. Ken PaxtonApr 28 – Sep 25, 2026
  8. The 2026 Massachusetts Senate race: Ed Markey vs. Seth MoultonMay 30 – Sep 4, 2026
Show remaining 11 arcs
  1. The 2026 Maine Senate race: Troy Jackson vs. Susan CollinsNov 14, 2024 – Sep 27, 2026
  2. The 2026 Ohio Senate race: Jon Husted vs. Sherrod BrownJan 15, 2025 – Sep 27, 2026
  3. The 2026 Florida Senate race: Ashley Moody vs. Angie NixonJan 16, 2025 – Sep 19, 2026
  4. The 2026 Kentucky Senate race to succeed Mitch McConnellFeb 20, 2025 – Jan 19, 2026
  5. The 2026 New Hampshire Senate race: Chris Pappas vs. John E. SununuMar 12, 2025 – Sep 9, 2026
  6. The 2026 Michigan Senate race: Abdul El-Sayed vs. Mike RogersApr 14, 2025 – Sep 23, 2026
  7. The 2026 Illinois Senate race to succeed Dick DurbinApr 23, 2025 – Mar 18, 2026
  8. The 2026 Minnesota Senate race: Peggy Flanagan vs. Michele TafoyaApr 29, 2025 – Aug 12, 2026
  9. The 2026 Georgia Senate race: Jon Ossoff vs. Mike CollinsMay 5, 2025 – Sep 29, 2026
  10. The 2026 Kansas Senate race: Roger Marshall vs. Adam HamiltonAug 5 – Sep 28, 2026
  11. The 2026 South Carolina Senate race: Darline Graham vs. Annie AndrewsSep 11 – Sep 27, 2026

Where it standsnewest first · each bar runs left to right by leaning

Sep 232026Nexstar's Iowa TV stations to air live debate between candidates for U.S. Senate3 articles · 1 independent sources
0 left, 1 center, 0 right
Sep 22– 232026Hinson trails Turek by 8 points in new Iowa Senate poll4 articles · 4 independent sources
1 left, 2 center, 1 right
Sep 21– 222026GOP nominees call for end to Iran war while on campaign trail3 articles · 3 independent sources
0 left, 1 center, 2 right

Key momentsthe most covered; every story is below

  1. Aug 29 – Sep 2, 2025Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst announces she won’t seek reelection in 202620 articles · 15 independent sources
  2. Jun 3, 2026Josh Turek wins Democratic primary in battleground Iowa Senate race9 articles · 9 independent sources
  3. Jul 29 – Aug 1, 2026U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek hosts roundtable in Des Moines21 articles · 18 independent sources
  4. Aug 20, 2026Texas, Iowa Senate races shift to toss ups: Cook Political Report9 articles · 7 independent sources
  5. Sep 16 – 18, 2026JD Vance returns to Iowa as Senate and governor races heat up21 articles · 18 independent sources
    1. Sep 16, 2026JD Vance returning to Iowa for midterm rally
    2. Sep 18, 2026Vance campaigns in red Iowa but barely mentions competitive Senate race

Who covered it, over timeindependent sources per week, by side

Aug 2025Nov 2025Jan 2026Apr 2026Jul 2026Sep 2026

LeftCenterRight

Point at or tap a week to see its count by side.

Every week as a table
Week ofLeftCenterRightArticles
Aug 25, 202543311
Sep 1, 202523513
Jun 1, 20262429
Jul 27, 202615321
Aug 3, 20260308
Aug 17, 20261239
Aug 24, 20260209
Sep 14, 202614121
Sep 21, 202623413

Stories before June 28, 2026 come from archived pages, so who covered them is limited to the outlets we recovered for that period.

26% left · 46% center · 28% right of 35 independent sources among the outlets we track, across 12 stories.

Every storyoldest first

  1. August 2025

    Aug 29– Sep 2Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst announces she won’t seek reelection in 202620 articles · 15 independent sources
    5 left, 4 center, 4 right

  2. September 2025

    Sep 2Ashley Hinson hints at Senate run after Ernst announces retirement5 articles · 5 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 3 right

  3. June 2026

    Jun 3Josh Turek wins Democratic primary in battleground Iowa Senate race9 articles · 9 independent sources
    2 left, 4 center, 2 right

  4. July 2026

    Jul 29– Aug 1U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek hosts roundtable in Des Moines21 articles · 18 independent sources
    1 left, 5 center, 3 right

  5. August 2026

    Aug 6– 7Sand leads Lahn in Iowa governor's race while Turek trails Hinson for Senate: Poll8 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 3 center, 0 right
  6. Aug 20Texas, Iowa Senate races shift to toss ups: Cook Political Report9 articles · 7 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 3 right
  7. Aug 27Josh Turek says Kamala Harris should not campaign for him9 articles · 5 independent sources
    0 left, 2 center, 0 right

  8. September 2026

    Sep 16– 18JD Vance returns to Iowa as Senate and governor races heat up21 articles · 18 independent sources
    1 left, 4 center, 1 right
  9. Sep 21Iowa GOP Senate candidate calls for Iran war to end despite voting to let Trump continue it3 articles · 3 independent sources
    1 left, 1 center, 1 right
  10. Sep 21– 22GOP nominees call for end to Iran war while on campaign trail3 articles · 3 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 2 right
  11. Sep 22– 23Hinson trails Turek by 8 points in new Iowa Senate poll4 articles · 4 independent sources
    1 left, 2 center, 1 right
  12. Sep 23Nexstar's Iowa TV stations to air live debate between candidates for U.S. Senate3 articles · 1 independent sources
    0 left, 1 center, 0 right