Republican U.S. Senate nominee Ashley Hinson drew a contrast with her Democratic opponent and outlined her bipartisan wins in remarks at the Des Moines Register Political Soapbox.
Hinson, who represents northeast Iowa in Congress, leaned into the atmosphere of the fair, leading the crowd in chants of “USA! USA” as she took the stage as supporters waved Hinson signs and opponents brandished signs of their own.
She told the crowd, “it is such a pleasure to be with all of you at the best state fair in the country.”
“I don’t know about you, but I’ve been trying to eat my way through the fair,” she said. “I’ve already had a couple of my favorites today. I had my pickle dog right down there. I had the bacon on a stick. How many of you have tried that? Just tried the ice cream with the butter and the salt on it. I highly recommend it.”
Here’s what Hinson said.
Ashley Hinson attacked Josh Turek for missing votes
Hinson started her remarks by going after Turek for attending a fundraiser out of state and for missing votes in the Iowa House while he was campaigning in a competitive Democratic primary.
“He decided to skip 58% of the votes at the state Capitol this year. 261 votes. That’s right,” Hinson said. “And here we are today at the Iowa State Fair, celebrating our veterans. How many of you were at the veterans parade earlier today? Well, Josh Turek skipped that, and he also skipped the vote to fund the Department of Veterans Affairs here in Iowa.”
Turek, speaking to reporters after his own Soapbox remarks, said, “I was around meeting Iowans all over the state” and he criticized Hinson for missing votes while serving in Congress.
“I worked really, really hard behind the scenes, the kind of work that nobody will ever see or hear from, to find strange bedfellows, build relationships across the aisle, and I was able to get a lot of policy to the finish line,” Turek said. “That’s what’s missing in D.C. That’s exactly the kind of senator that I will be.”
Hinson says she’s delivered bipartisan wins in Congress
Hinson recounted some of the wins she’s achieved during her six years in Congress.
“I have delivered in my time as a congresswoman in Northeast Iowa,” Hinson said. “I have worked on bipartisan priorities that are Iowans’ priorities, because I can tell you, as I’ve traveled through my congressional district and around all 99 counties, I want to continue to tell Iowans’ stories.”
She touted three bills she helped get passed into law in Congress, including the Stillbirth Prevention Act, which President Joe Biden signed in 2024, and the Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act, named for Iowan Brandon Ketchum, which Biden signed in 2021.
Finally, Hinson praised President Donald Trump’s “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” telling the crowd, “you wanted lower taxes and less government.”
“We delivered no tax on tips, no tax on overtime, reduced taxes for Social Security, directly targeted at the middle class,” she said. “Because it’s not the government’s money, it’s your money!”
Bridge Grades, a nonpartisan project that scores federal lawmakers on how often they legislate across party lines, gave Hinson a B grade, ranking her 84th among House members. It was the lowest ranking among Iowa’s congressional delegation.
Hinson says she supports funding Iran war mission
Hinson took the Soapbox stage after appearing at U.S. Rep. Zach Nunn’s annual Top Nunn fundraiser, which featured Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth.
She told reporters “a strong military” focused on readiness is her priority.
“I support our war fighters in this mission. I want to make sure that our Iowans who are fighting, anyone who’s fighting is resourced properly and has what they need,” she said. “The most important thing is deterrence, not just with the situation with Iran, but with other conflicts potentially around the world.”
She said both parties have contributed to the country’s high national debt and said she has voted against $6 trillion in spending in Congress and works to cut spending as a member of the Appropriations Committee.
“I think we need to make sure we’re funding what we need to fund, which mine would be making sure we can defend our country and defend our homeland,” she said. “Those will continue to be my priorities.”
Stephen Gruber-Miller is the Capitol bureau chief for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com, by phone at 515-284-8169 or on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Ashley Hinson dings opponent, touts bipartisan wins in Soapbox remarks
Reporting by Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register | USA TODAY Network
