State Sen. Zach Wahls outraised state Rep. Josh Turek in Iowa’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary in the most recent fundraising quarter — but Republican favorite U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson has raised more than both Democrats combined.
The latest federal campaign finance reports, which cover Oct. 1 through Dec. 31, show Wahls and Turek vying for frontrunner status in the Democratic primary, while fundraising for former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage has fallen off.
Turek, of Council Bluffs, topped the Democratic field from July 1 through Sept. 30, with $1 million raised and $357,000 spent.
But in the latest quarter, Turek raised just shy of $678,000 while spending $931,000, leaving him with $398,000 in the bank as of Dec. 31.
Meanwhile, Wahls, of Coralville, had his best quarter, raising $742,000 and spending $594,000, leaving him with $733,000 cash on hand.
“Hardworking Iowans are sick of a system that is rigged for corporate special interests and corrupt politicians,” Wahls said in a statement. “Iowa is in play — and we’re building a campaign with the resources to win. We’ve built momentum in this race because Iowans across the political spectrum are rallying behind our plan to tackle corruption head on: overturn Citizens United, ban insider stock trading by politicians, and enact term limits so Washington works for the people again.”
In a memo released Feb. 2, the Wahls campaign said the fundraising reports show he is “the clear Democratic frontrunner.”
The memo notes that Wahls raised more than $2 million during all of 2025, compared with just shy of $1.7 million for Turek.
And it calls the fact that Turek spent more than he raised in the latest quarter “a glaring warning sign that his campaign is not built for the long haul.”
In a Jan. 31 news release, Turek’s campaign cited “grassroots energy and enthusiasm.” The release said Turek received donations from 38,200 donors across Iowa’s 99 counties, with an average donation of $31.
The campaign brought in an average of 269 new donors a day and 45% of donations were from individuals giving less than $200.
“Josh Turek has shown he has the widespread support needed to win this primary and take on Ashley Hinson in November,” Turek’s campaign manager, Brendan Koch, said in a statement. “Donations came in from the working class Iowans that Josh is committed to representing: machinists in Madrid, firefighters in Coralville, students in Sioux City, waitresses in Anamosa, pipefitters in Davenport, line cooks in Charles City, teachers, truck drivers, and nurses from across the state. They know as the only one in this primary who has even run against a Republican, Josh is the best shot we have at keeping Ashley Hinson out of the U.S. Senate.”
A Turek campaign official noted that Wahls also spent more than he raised in his second quarter in the race — raising about $647,000 and spending $688,000 from July through September. Wahls launched his campaign June 11 compared to Aug. 12 for Turek, giving him more time to build his operation.
“Josh is raising at a faster pace than anyone else in this race, and he is doing it without the help of a personal network of wealthy donors,” Koch said in a statement. “Josh is a working class guy who didn’t go to an Ivy League school. He has a personal network of other working class folks and disabled individuals, which is why his average donation is $31 and he has the highest number of donations under $200.”
Sage raised just under $230,000 in the latest quarter and spent almost double that amount — $412,000 — leaving him with $86,000 in the bank.
Fundraising reports show a steady decline in Sage’s fundraising after he raised $700,000 from April through June and $410,000 from July through September.
“I want to thank everyone who has believed in me enough to donate to my campaign — whether it’s $5 or $1000, I am beyond humbled,” Sage said in a statement. “Running for office is a daunting task, especially when you’re up against people who have been doing this their entire careers. But because of your support, we’ve been able to bring our working class message to all 99 counties in Iowa over the past year. This experience has proven to me that Iowans are ready for change. They are ready for new leadership, real fighters, and a senator that has lived the same struggles they have. This race will not be decided by party bosses, billionaires or corporate interests, but by the everyday Iowans.”
Ashley Hinson outraises Democratic field, builds $5 million war chest
All of Iowa’s Democratic contenders lag behind Hinson, who raised more than the entire Democratic field in the fourth quarter.
Hinson, who represents northeast Iowa’s 2nd District in Congress, reported raising just under $1.7 million in the fourth quarter, although her campaign said that would rise to $2 million when including fundraising through joint committees.
She reported spending about $563,000 and has amassed a massive war chest topping $5.1 million.
“I am honored to have financial support from all 99 counties in Iowa,” Hinson said in a statement. “Iowans know there is too much at stake to sit this election out, and I don’t take this mission lightly. We’re working overtime to lower costs and make DC run a lot more like Iowa. We will continue to use these resources judiciously to secure Republican victories up and down the ballot this November.”
Hinson’s deputy campaign manager, Addie Lavis, said the campaign is “fueled by volunteers, activists and donors across all of Iowa’s 99 counties.”
“Here in Iowa, we know the value of a dollar, and we don’t take for granted the sacrifices our donors have made to invest in our campaign,” Lavis said. “President Trump and Ashley Hinson will continue to deliver wins that lower costs, support working families, and keep our communities safe.”
Hinson’s primary opponent, former state Sen. Jim Carlin, R-Sioux City, had not filed a fundraising report as of 4 p.m. on Feb. 2. The deadline to submit reports was Jan. 31.
“We missed the filing deadline — that’s on us, and we are correcting it immediately,” Carlin’s campaign manager, Dale Coparanis, said in a statement. “We’re a grassroots campaign building our operational infrastructure as we go, and we’re learning and improving every day. Unlike the well-oiled DC machines with decades of institutional infrastructure, we’re doing this the hard way — and we take responsibility when we don’t execute perfectly.”
Libertarian Thomas Laehn reported raising $9,590 and spending $6,460. He has $5,505 in the bank.
Candidates must file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission once they raise or spend more than $5,000.
Jim Carlin, Republican
US Rep. Ashley Hinson, Republican
Nathan Sage, Democrat
Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, Democrat
Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls, Democrat
Thomas Laehn, Libertarian
(This story was updated to add new information.)
Stephen Gruber-Miller covers the Iowa Statehouse and politics for the Register. He can be reached by email at sgrubermil@registermedia.com or by phone at 515-284-8169. Follow him on X at @sgrubermiller.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Wahls outraises Turek, Hinson outpaces both in Iowa’s US Senate race
Reporting by Stephen Gruber-Miller, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
