Ashley Hinson

Ashley Elizabeth Hinson (born June 27, 1983) is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district since 2021. The district, numbered as the 1st district during her first term, covers much of northeastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque.

A member of the Republican Party, Hinson was the Iowa state representative for the 67th district from 2017 to 2021, and the first woman to represent the district. She won the 1st district in the U.S. House in the 2020 election, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks are the first Republican women to represent Iowa in the House.

Hinson won reelection in the redrawn 2nd district in 2022 and 2024. Hinson is the Republican nominee in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa to replace retiring Republican incumbent Joni Ernst.

Early life, education, and career Hinson was born in Des Moines, Iowa. Her father was a financial advisor and her mother was a teacher. She is a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and the University of Southern California, where she studied broadcast journalism. She is an alumna of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.

Hinson was a news and entertainment intern at KABC-TV in Los Angeles and worked for WOI-TV in Des Moines as a camera operator and editor for their evening newscasts. Hinson worked as an anchor and reporter for KCRG-TV for over a decade. She won two regional Emmy Awards.

Iowa House of Representatives

Elections In 2016, Hinson ran for Iowa's 67th House district, based in Linn County. She defeated Democrat Mark Seidl, 62.5%–37.5%.

This Cedar Rapids suburban district is typically highly competitive. 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won it over Donald Trump by two percentage points.

In 2018, Hinson faced a competitive race against teacher Eric Gjerde. She defeated him, 52%–48%.

Committee assignments In the Iowa House, Hinson served on the Judiciary, Public Safety, and Transportation Committees, which she chaired. She also served on the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.

U.S. House of Representatives Elections

2020

On May 13, 2019, Hinson filed paperwork to run against first term Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer in Iowa's 1st congressional district.

The district, which encompasses 20 counties in northeastern Iowa, was flipped in the 2018 election. Hinson was announced as a "contender" by the National Republican Congressional Committee. She was endorsed by Iowa governor Kim Reynolds and lieutenant governor Adam Gregg. On June 2, 2020, Hinson won the Republican primary.

Hinson focused her campaign on cutting taxes and building infrastructure. In July 2020, The New York Times reported several instances of Hinson's campaign website plagiarizing portions of articles from media outlets. Hinson said she "was unaware of the plagiarism when I reviewed drafts presented to me by staff. As a journalist I take this extremely seriously and am deeply sorry for the mistake. The staff responsible will be held accountable."

Hinson defeated Finkenauer in the November general election. Hinson won by more than 10,000 votes—she garnered 51.2% of the vote while Finkenauer finished with 48.6%.

2022

On October 29, 2021, most of Hinson's territory, including her home in Marion, near Cedar Rapids, became the 2nd district due to redistricting, and Hinson announced she would seek reelection there. In effect, she traded district numbers with fellow freshman Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks. Hinson defeated Democratic state Senator Liz Mathis in the general election.

2024

On November 5, 2024, Hinson was re-elected with 57.1% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sarah Corkery.

Tenure

Agriculture In 2023, Hinson introduced the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, which sought to prohibit state and local governments from imposing animal welfare regulations and production standards on agricultural goods sold in interstate commerce. In 2026, it was modified and reintroduced as Save Our Bacon (SOB) Act, which intends to block states from enforcing animal welfare and protection laws. The proposal became a key point of contention during negotiations over the United States farm bill.

Abortion Hinson opposes the legal right to have an abortion with the exception for rape, incest, and the life of the mother.

Economic issues In 2020, Hinson said she was open to raising the retirement age for Social Security as a step to preserve the program for future generations.

Hinson, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

In 2025, Hinson voted in favor of President Trump's tax and policy legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Hinson held events celebrating the bill's passage; the events were attended by both supporters and opponents of the legislation.

Foreign policy

In 2026, Hinson voted against a measure to require President Trump to seek congressional authorization to continue the 2026 Iran war. Hinson said Trump "possesses the inherent constitutional authority as our commander in chief to protect our American personnel and the interests in the region and to protect Americans here at home".

Social issues

On July 19, 2022, Hinson and 46 other Republican representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would require all U.S. states and territories to recognize same-sex marriages under federal law.

Committee assignments For the 119th Congress: Committee on Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Subcommittee on Financial Services and General Government Subcommittee on Homeland Security Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party United States House Committee on Ethics

Caucus memberships Republican Study Committee

2026 U.S. Senate campaign

On September 2, 2025, Hinson announced her candidacy for the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa, following incumbent Senator Joni Ernst's announcement that she would not seek reelection. She won the Republican primary, defeating former state senator Jim Carlin, and will face Democratic nominee Josh Turek in the general election.

In September 2026, Hinson called for a swift end to the war in Iran, marking a shift from her earlier support for Trump's authority to strike Tehran. She had previously voted six times against House measures aimed at curbing Trump's war powers. In a social media post, she said Iowans "are being squeezed and shouldn't have to foot the bill at the pump or the checkout line for the war in Iran," and called for suspending gasoline taxes, pausing diesel exports, and bringing the war "to a successful and immediate end." Diesel prices carry particular political weight in Iowa, where agriculture plays an outsized role in the state's economy and farmers rely heavily on diesel-powered equipment and transportation.

Personal life Hinson is a resident of Marion, Iowa. She is married to Matt Arenholz, an insurance executive who previously did work in government affairs for an insurance trade and lobbying group. They have two children. Hinson is a Protestant.

Electoral history

Ashley Hinson

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