Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson wins third term, vows to back President Trump's agenda
Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson has secured her third term to represent Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in a contest against two other candidates.
Hinson won with 57% of the vote against Democratic opponent Sarah Corkery, who won 42%, and no-party candidate Jody Puffett, with 1%.
She celebrated her win with a room full of supporters Tuesday night, saying her election has sent a loud and clear message that Iowans believe in strong conservative leadership. She said Iowa's political landscape is a model for the U.S.
"We sent a message that it is your money, not the government's money," she said. "We also sent a message that girls sports are for girls, not biological men. And most importantly, we sent a message that our rights come from God, not from the government."
The 2nd District includes Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City in the northeastern corner of the state.
Hinson, 41, grew up in West Des Moines, is a former lawmaker in the Iowa House and was a news anchor at KCRG. She successfully ran against former news anchor Liz Mathis in 2022, winning her second term with an 8 percentage-point margin.
She said she plans to advocate against Democratic policies from the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris that put conservative values under attack.
"We're not going to let them do that, are we?" Hinson called out to her supporters.
Former President Donald Trump endorsed Hinson for Congress in September, posting on Truth Social that she is a "champion of the American family."
"In Congress, she is fighting hard to Secure our Border, Cut Taxes, Reduce Burdensome Regulations, Promote American Agriculture, and Defend our always under siege Second Amendment," Trump posted.
Hinson made it clear she plans to back Trump over the next four years.
"Let's talk about what day one of a President Trump will look like. Closing the border — I think we all agree that needs to happen. Restarting American energy projects, firing swamp bureaucrats," Hinson said. "And you know what, I know the man pretty well, and I bet he'll do that before most of us are on our second cup of coffee tomorrow. He's going to be busy."
Hinson said her top priority in Congress is to secure the southern U.S.-Mexico border and deport millions of people who are living without authorization in the U.S. She believes Iowa, and every U.S. state, is a border state.
"Iowa law enforcement officers recently informed me that cartel-connected drug activity has tripled in our state since Biden took office. Securing the border, stopping illegal immigration, and protecting our country is priority No. 1," she said.
Lowering costs and making permanent cuts to taxes is another focus of her campaign, she said.
"Another way to reduce inflation is to embrace an all-of-the-above energy strategy: expanding biofuels, reopening the Keystone XL pipeline, and permitting reform to restore American energy independence and bring back good-paying energy jobs," she said.
During the campaign, Hinson outraised her opponents by millions. Through Sept. 30, Hinson had raised $5.1 million during the election cycle and spent $3.2 million. Corkery had raised $432,000 and spent $317,000. Puffett had raised $26,000 and spent almost as much.
Corkery, a first-time candidate, focused her campaign on abortion and health care access and cast herself as a Democrat who would work in a bipartisan way in Congress.
She told the Register after the race was called in Hinson's favor that she hopes Hinson tries to open up and listen to those across the aisle. She said she spent election night with friends and family.
"Of course, it's not what we'd hoped, but considering we were David up against Goliath, I don't think anybody will be surprised that we did not win," Corkery said. "We gave it a very great effort for someone just raising only half of a million dollars."
She said she appreciated that there wasn't any "name-calling or mud-slinging" between her and Hinson during the election.
"We need to wish her well because we need to find a path forward," she said.
Corkery said she is open to running for office in the future. She added she was happy that Puffett was another opponent in the race.
"It has been a positive experience, as I mentioned," Corkery said. "I hope more people are inspired by what we did and the progress that we made to get into the race because it is possible."
Puffett did not respond to the Register for comment after multiple attempts.
Sabine Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached by email at [email protected] or by phone at (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin.
(This story was updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson reelected in Iowa’s 2nd District