With control of the U.S. Senate at stake, Republican Ashley Hinson is making her final pitch to northwest Iowa voters — promising to fight for farmers and taxpayers while arguing her Democratic opponent’s record makes him unfit for the job.
Hinson, an Iowa congresswoman seeking the state’s open U.S. Senate seat, stopped at Nutra Tech in Storm Lake Tuesday as part of her “Fighting for Iowa” tour. About 40 people attended, including Republican National Committee Chairman Joe Gruters, Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig and U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who joined Hinson in urging Republicans to turn out for the Nov. 3 election.
The seat is currently held by Republican Joni Ernst, who is not seeking reelection. Hinson faces Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in a closely watched race that could help determine which party controls the U.S. Senate.
Hinson opened her remarks by framing the election around the next generation, Iowa agriculture and what she described as the need to protect taxpayers and national security.
Hinson spent much of her speech criticizing Turek’s voting record, particularly his attendance in the Iowa House and his positions on agriculture and immigration.
She pointed to his missed votes on legislation, including the Iowa Farm Act. A PolitiFact review published this month found Turek missed 261 of 445 Iowa House floor votes during the 2026 legislative session, attending about 42% of the votes. Turek has said he was spending time campaigning and meeting Iowans across the state.
Hinson returned to that criticism when speaking with Storm Lake Radio after the event, arguing voters should consider attendance when deciding who deserves a promotion to the U.S. Senate.
The comment was part of Hinson’s broader argument that Turek is too liberal for Iowa. She also criticized him over agricultural policy and immigration, while accusing him of misleading voters about her own record.
Agriculture was a central theme throughout the event, with Naig acknowledging the challenges facing producers, including pressure on prices and difficulties in the pork industry.
Naig argued that agriculture’s impact reaches far beyond farm families, supporting Iowa’s manufacturing, financial services and rural communities. He also praised Hinson for advocating for farmers in Washington, saying she listens to agricultural concerns and then fights for those interests in Congress.
Grassley, meanwhile, urged Republicans in northwest Iowa to help Hinson win, emphasizing the importance of turnout in the state’s heavily Republican northwest corner.
With the campaign entering its final week, Gruters urged supporters to do more than simply follow the race — encouraging them to personally contact friends, neighbors and other voters to help turn out the Republican vote.
The visit concluded with supporters invited to sign Hinson’s campaign bus as she continues touring Iowa ahead of Election Day.
