Josh Turek, a state representative and Paralympic gold medalist, won the Iowa Democratic Senate primary held on June 2, 2026, with 63.7% of the vote, defeating Zach Wahls by a wide margin [1, 2, 3, 4]. Turek secured endorsements from prominent Democrats including former Senator Tom Harkin and Pete Buttigieg, while Wahls was backed by Elizabeth Warren and ran as an outsider criticizing party leadership [1, 2, 3, 4].
Turek’s victory sets up a November general election faceoff against Republican Ashley Hinson, a US Representative who defeated Jim Carlin in the GOP primary and is endorsed by former President Donald Trump [1, 5, 2, 3, 4]. Hinson supports Trump's tax policies and has opposed same-sex marriage legalization [3, 4].
The Senate seat is open because Republican Senator Joni Ernst is retiring after serving two terms [1, 5, 2, 3, 4]. Iowa is a traditionally Republican state, where Trump won by a 13-point margin in 2024 and Republicans outnumber Democrats by approximately 200,000 registered voters [5, 2, 3, 4].
Polls show a very competitive general election, with Turek holding a narrow one-point lead over Hinson [3, 4]. Turek’s campaign focuses on healthcare, living wages, and affordable housing [3, 4]. Timothy Hagle, a University of Iowa professor, said the Democratic race was shaped by debates over electability: "The big fight right now among the Democrats is who's more electable...a lot of Democrats are saying 'we need Turek because we need to have a fighting chance at this election.'" [5]
In other Iowa Republican primaries held June 2, Zach Lahn narrowly won the governor's nomination over Trump-backed Randy Feenstra [4].
The general election between Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson for the open Iowa US Senate seat is scheduled for November 2026 [1, 5, 2, 3, 4].
