Iowa Republican voters will choose between two nominees on June 2 for the open U.S. Senate seat, with U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson now in the race for the seat Joni Ernst will leave at the end of her term.
Hinson filed to run before the primary, joining former Iowa lawmaker Jim Carlin in the contest for the GOP nomination. Ernst’s announcement in September of 2025 that she would be vacating her seat set off a scramble on both sides of the aisle for one of the state’s most closely watched federal races.
The Republican winner will advance to face a Democratic nominee from a field that includes two current state legislators, state Rep. Josh Turek and state Sen. Zach Wahls. That makes the June 2 primary the first major test in a race that will determine who replaces Ernst in the Senate.
The stakes are straightforward: Republicans are choosing their standard-bearer for an open seat, and the winner will step into a general election against one of two lawmakers already holding statewide office. Hinson’s entry gives the GOP field a well-known federal name, while Carlin’s candidacy adds a second option for voters deciding how to keep the seat in Republican hands.
What happens next is simple and immediate. Iowa Republicans vote on June 2, and the nominee they choose will move straight into a fall race against either Turek or Wahls. The result will decide whether the seat stays with Republicans after Ernst leaves office.
