Who is running for United States Senator in Iowa in 2026?

Ashley Hinson (R), Josh Turek (D), Thomas Laehn (Lib)

When is the Iowa 2026 general election?

Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Iowa › Races › United States Senator

United States Senator — Iowa 2026

3 candidates on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (official Iowa Secretary of State list, as of October 29, 2026). Grades reflect each candidate's public record on life, family, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, limited government and fiscal responsibility.

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Candidates

BAshley HinsonRepublican

Sitting member of the U.S. House and former Iowa legislator; Republican candidate for U.S. Senate.

LifeAFamilyBReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentALimited gov’tBFiscalA

Rated A+ by SBA Pro-Life America and A+ (endorsed) by NRA-PVF; endorsed by AFP Action with a 2025 Club for Growth score of 84% and Heritage Action 119th Congress score of 87%.

Life: Rated A+ by SBA Pro-Life America and named by The FAMiLY Leader as a pro-life candidate.
Family: Named by The FAMiLY Leader as a pro-life and pro-family candidate; no specific votes on these issues captured.
Religious liberty: No specific record found; conservative ratings (iVoterGuide 'Leans Conservative') suggest general support.
2nd Amendment: Rated A+ and endorsed by NRA-PVF for 2026.
Limited gov’t: Endorsed by AFP Action; Heritage Action score of 87% (119th Congress), 77% lifetime.
Fiscal: Club for Growth score of 84% (2025) and endorsement by AFP Action indicate a consistent pro-taxpayer record.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Ballotpedia

DJosh TurekDemocratic

State representative (House District 20); Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate.

LifeDFamilyFReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tDFiscalC

State House record includes votes against school choice (HF 68), parental-rights (SF 496) and Civil Rights Act gender-identity (SF 418) bills; NRA-PVF rates him C and iVoterGuide rates him Liberal.

Life: Recorded absent on the 2023 heartbeat bill (HF 732); no pro-life positions found and running as Democrat suggests pro-choice alignment.
Family: Voted no on SF 496 (2023 parental rights/curriculum) and SF 418 (2025 removing gender identity from the Civil Rights Act).
Religious liberty: No specific religious-liberty record or statements found.
2nd Amendment: Rated C by NRA-PVF for 2026; Iowa Firearms Coalition vote index of 29.4%.
Limited gov’t: Voted no on HF 68 (2023 Students First school-choice accounts) and HF 856 (2025 DEI ban).
Fiscal: Voted yes on SF 2442 (2024 income-tax rate cut), which passed with broad bipartisan support; no other tax votes captured.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]

Ballotpedia

CThomas LaehnLibertarian

Candidate for U.S. Senate (Libertarian).

LifeAFamilyCReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tCFiscalC

Listed on Iowa Right to Life's 2026 questionnaire A+ list (not an endorsement); iVoterGuide rates him Moderate and no other positions were found.

Life: On Iowa Right to Life's 2026 questionnaire A+ list (answered yes to all three pro-life questions; IRTL notes this is not an endorsement).
Family: No position found.
Religious liberty: No position found.
2nd Amendment: No position found.
Limited gov’t: No position found.
Fiscal: No position found.

Sources: [1] [2]

Ballotpedia

More Iowa 2026 races

Governor and Lieutenant Governor · Secretary of State · Auditor of State · Treasurer of State · Secretary of Agriculture · Attorney General