Trump recognizes Iowa Senate seat after Joni Ernst retires

president Donald Trump Rep. Ashley Hinson, Republican, ran for retired Republican Sen. Joni Ernst on Friday.

Hinson, a former TV news anchor who represents Iowa’s second congressional district in her third term, which covers the state’s northeastern region, showed her support for Trump when he launched the Senate campaign on Tuesday.

“I ran to become President Trump’s top ally U.S. Senate,” she said. In this week’s Fox News digital interview, Hinson stressed that she was “proud” with Trump.

“I know Ashley well, she’s the winner!” Trump said in a social media post.

Hinson

“I know Ashley well, she’s a winner! Ashley is a great wife and proud mother of two sons, a great person who has been serving Iowa and will continue to do so in the U.S. Senate,” the president said.

“Ashley Hinson will be an excellent senator and have my complete and comprehensive recognition – she won’t let you down!”

Trump’s support is the support of Senate Majority Leader Sen. John Thune and the National Republican Senate Committee (NRSC), the Senate Republican campaign unit.

“We need conservative fighters in the Senate, and that’s exactly what we got with Ashley Hinson,” Thune wrote in recognition of Hinson.

“Traveling with Ashley in Iowa, I know she’s the fighter that Hawkeye needs to provide Trump’s presidential agenda in 2026 and beyond,” said Sen. Tim Scott, South Carolina’s NRSC chairman.

Hinson himself has no major territory for the Republican Party. Former state Senator Jim Carlin and veteran Joshua Smith have entered the main game before Ernst announced.

But the support of Trump, Thun and the NRSC will further promote Hinson, who has been considered the leader in the nomination and may discourage anyone else from entering the primary. The president has a huge influence on the Republican Party, and his recognition in the Republican primary is very influential.

Hinson’s campaign launch hours After Ernstin a social media video, officially announced that she will not seek reelection in the middle of next year.

“After a lot of prayer and reflection, I won’t seek reelection in 2026,” Ernst, 55, said when he was first elected to the Senate in 2014.

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Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard, served in the Iraq War and has been running for re-election for several months. In her video, she said: “It’s not an easy decision.”

Ernst attracted national attention when she won high-profile Senate elections with her “Make’em Scream” ad 11 years ago In Iowa In the match of long-time Democratic Senator Tom Harkin, who has successfully retired.

Ernst highlighted in her video “Iowans was elected 11 years ago as the first female combat veteran in the U.S. Senate and they did it to make Washington scream. I’m proud to say we’ve delivered. We’ve cut waste, fraud and abuse across the federal government.”

Iowa Republican Senator Joni Ernst announced Tuesday that she will not seek reelection during 2026. (Reuters)

Hinson, Social Media Poststhank Ernst for her “incredible service to our country and our country” and for her friendship. “Iowa is better because of your selfless service,” she said.

In an Iowa radio interview Tuesday, she said in the Senate campaign priorities, “the safety borders, the movement to get men out of girls, cut taxes for our working families, taxes for Iowa agriculture, and help young Iowa, who are trying to buy a house.”

Hinson also promises that the campaign will begin in all 99 Iowa counties, starting with Friday’s kickoff.

When she played, Hinson was recognized by Jim Banks, the Republican of Indiana, Katie Britt of Alabama and Markwayne Mullin of Oklahoma.

House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Majority Whip Rep. Tom Emmer, House Republican Leader, Rep. Elise Stefanik, and Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann, also support Hinson.

Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) communications director Maeve Coyle, following Hinson’s announcement, argued that “Republicans failed to convince Joni Ernst to run for reelection, and now they may be stuck with Ashley Hinson, who has repeatedly voted to raise costs and make life harder for Iowans by voting to slash Medicaid, cheering on the chaos tariffs that threaten Iowa’s economy, voting Measures against measures to reduce insulin costs and threaten social security.”

Hinson’s response to Fox News Digital said: “I think they are wrong at best.”

She accused “When I heard the lies and fears on the left, it just covered up the fact that they had no information, except Bernie and AOC and AOC, now in Mamdani, New York,” she mentioned Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont of Alexandriria Ocasio-Cort.

“If that’s the direction they want to take our country, I think Iowa will refuse with all his heart,” she predicted.

Four major Republican Senate seats aim to flip in next year’s midterm elections

Iowa was once the top battlefield for former presidents Barack Obama In his 2008 and 2012 White House won. But the state has moved to the right in the most recent election cycle, with President Donald Trump hitting a nine-point shooting percentage in 2016 and eight in 2020, and last November 13.

Republicans currently own seats in the state’s Senate – Ernst and longtime Senator Chuck Grassley, as well as all four congressional districts in Iowa, as well as all statewide offices, except for the state auditor held by Democrat Rob Sand, who runs for governor next year.

But Iowa Democrats are full of energy after flipping two Republican Senate seats in special elections so far this year.

The Iowa Congress delegation is on June 3, 2023 at Senator Joni Ernst’s annual baking and ride fundraising event from left to right. Feenstra. (Rachel Mummey/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Five Democrats are already running for the Senate in Iowa. The field includes state Rep. Josh Turek, Paralympic wheelchair basketball player, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Knoxville Chamber Executive Director Nathan Sage and Des Moines School Board Chairman Jackie Norris.

“The open seat in Iowa is just the latest example of the Democrats’ expanded Senate map,” Lauren French, Lauren French, a spokesman for the Senate majority PAC, said in a statement.

But, South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, chairman of the National Republican Senate Committee, said in a statement: “The NRSC is confident that Iowaians will elect Republicans to continue fighting for them and support President Trump’s agenda in 2026.”

Senate Democrats recruit top candidates to win majority

Republicans’ goal is not only to defend the current 53-47 Senate majority in next year’s election.

Senate Republicans In the 2024 cycle, they enjoyed a favorable map as they flipped four seats from blue to red to win most seats.

But those in power – Republicans have traditionally faced political headwinds in midterm elections. However, the current reading of the 2026 map suggests that the Republicans may attack in certain critical states.

In the battlefield in Georgia that Trump almost carried in last year’s White House game, Republicans believe that the first Senator Jon Ossoff is the most vulnerable Democrat next year and there will be another election next year.

They also target the battlefield in Michigan, where Democratic Sen. Gary Peters will retire at the end of next year, while a swing state in New Hampshire, where long-time Democratic Sen. Jeanne Shaheen decided not to seek a fourth six-year term in the Senate.

The NRSC’s target list is also Minnesota Blue Minnesota, where Democratic Sen. Tina Smith is not running for reelection.

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But Republicans are defending an open seat on the North Carolina battlefield, with Republican Senator Thom Tills not seeking reelection. Republicans may be forced to spend resources to defend Ohio Sen. Jon Husted, who was appointed former senator and current vice president, JD Vance, who faces former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown next year.

Meanwhile, Democrats are targeting moderate Sen. Susan Collins, who has yet to announce her 2026 reelection – Blue Maine.