U.S. Senate candidates Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek faced off on issues like the Iran war, healthcare and immigration during an hour-long debate on Iowa PBS Wednesday.
The two candidates are vying for Republican Sen. Joni Ernst's open Senate seat in a race that has grown more competitive as the Nov. 3 election draws closer and polling data indicates Hinson and Turek are in a tight race with voters.
Libertarian Thomas Laehn is also on the ballot, but he was not part of the debate.
The debate was moderated by Iowa Press host Kay Henderson, Des Moines Register Capitol Bureau Chief Stephen Gruber-Miller and The Gazette Des Moines Bureau Chief Erin Murphy.
Hinson, a U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd District, defended her decision last month not to support a Democrat-backed resolution that would have limited President Donald Trump's powers in Iran, even as she called for an "immediate and successful" end to the war several days later.
"I don't think we need another resolution, and I certainly don't want to see the president not be able to do an orderly end to this war," she said. "You look at what happened when President Biden did the withdrawal hastily out of Afghanistan, and we lost 13 service members, including an Iowan at Abbey Gate. We don't need to lose another Iowan."
Turek, a state representative from Council Bluffs, said he wants to see the war end and a return to diplomacy.
"Certainly, don't want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon, but we have to end this war. And one of my primary goals, I'm going to fight to end this war in the U.S. Senate, day one," he said.
Both candidates emphasized their bipartisanship on hot button issues such as immigration.
Turek said he broke with his own party in 2024 to support a bill that would allow state law enforcement officers to arrest undocumented immigrants who have re-entered the country illegally and state courts to deport them after Congress failed to pass a bill on comprehensive immigration reform. The Iowa law has been blocked by a federal court.
"I was one of three Democrats to vote with Republicans, because if you have come here illegally and you have committed violent crimes, you should no longer be here. But at the same time, I think we can recognize that we need to have a pathway to earned citizenship for those that have come here legally," Turek said.
Hinson called Turek "too liberal" on the issue of border security for saying he would support legislation that would create programs for undocumented immigrants and said she declined to support the 2024 border bill because it would let in too many people.
"That bill would have let uncapped numbers come across our southern border, and at the time, we had rampant illegal immigration flowing across our southern border," she said.
Hinson, who was endorsed by Trump shortly after announcing her candidacy last fall and has long been an ally to the president, has been walking a fine line as Trump's low approval ratings may be affecting Republican support.
Hinson said she's most interested in addressing issues that Iowans are concerned about over rallying behind Trump.
"I'll be President Trump's ally when it is important for Iowa, but I will push back on him. He knows this because I talk to him regularly on things that are wrong for our state, and that's true no matter who's in the White House. That's true no matter who is governing and who has the gavel," she said.
Turek also emphasized his bipartisanship when confronted by Hinson about his voting record, a frequent point of attack from his opponents. Turek missed 58% of House floor votes during the last legislative session, one of the highest for lawmakers in the Iowa House.
"My answer would be that I'm independently recognized as one of the most bipartisan, as one of the most effective. I've gone up to the Iowa Legislature and I have worked for bills to actually help average everyday Iowans," he said.
Turek responded by claiming Hinson has significantly increased her personal wealth during her time as a U.S. representative in Washington, D.C., claiming she owns $5 million in private stock and has used taxpayer money to get a "luxury D.C. apartment."
Hinson said she and her husband sold all their personal stocks when she took office in 2021, and her increased wealth comes from the sale of his business. She said she took a per diem available to lawmakers for the days when Congress is in session.
"So I think it's important to note that my opponent, who did not show up to work, still took the full per diem here in Iowa, the same program that exists for lawmakers here," Hinson said. "So you took the per diem, you stole from taxpayers. You should refund that money."
