Carlin criticizes Hinson’s vote for same-sex marriage law in U.S. Senate primary

While U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s 2026 Senate campaign has been backed by Republicans including President Donald Trump, Senate Majority Leader John Thune and U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who currently holds the seat, she still must overcome a challenge from the right in the June 2 primary election.

Former state Rep. Jim Carlin is challenging Hinson in the June 2 primary to become the GOP nominee.

Hinson, who currently represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District in the House, announced her campaign hours after Ernst said she would not run for reelection. In the following weeks and months, she quickly gathered support from many influential GOP officials in Congress and Iowa, and has led in campaign fundraising ahead of both Carlin and the Democrats running to become the U.S. Senate nominee, state Rep. Josh Turek and Sen. Zach Wahls.

Democrats and other election watchers are preparing for Hinson to become the Republican nominee in the general election, with some Democratic organizations already announcing ad buys leading up to the general election that target Hinson’s voting record in the U.S. House. But her place on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot is not yet decided, as she competes against Carlin in the June 2 primary.

Carlin, a Sioux City attorney who has served in both the Iowa House and Senate, also previously ran to challenge U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in the 2022 Republican primary election. In both his 2022 and 2026 bids, Carlin has criticized his opponents as “establishment” candidates.

On his campaign website, Carlin criticized Hinson for appearing at campaign events with former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during the 2024 GOP Iowa caucus cycle, and for supporting former U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney, who voted in favor of impeaching Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot, for a GOP leadership spot in 2021.

Additionally, Carlin has criticized Hinson for voting in support of a measure protecting Americans’ right to same-sex marriages. Hinson, as well as U.S. Rep. Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, voted in support of the measure, alongside 45 other Republicans.

In a Monday news release, Carlin said he supports the “traditional definition of marriage as the union of one man and one woman,” and said Hinson’s vote in 2022 shows he is the only Republican who has “stood firmly for religious liberty” running for the U.S. Senate seat.

“For thousands of years, across cultures and civilizations, marriage has been understood as the union of one man and one woman,” Carlin said. “As a Christian, I believe marriage was ordained by God. As a public servant, I believe society has a legitimate interest in protecting and strengthening the family structure that has historically provided the best environment for raising children and sustaining healthy communities.”

Carlin said “many Americans of faith increasingly feel pressured to abandon their beliefs,” and that if elected, “I will never stop defending religious liberty, parental rights, and the freedom of churches, religious organizations, and individuals to uphold their beliefs.”

Hinson said in a 2022 statement on the vote that the measure “maintains the status quo” established by the 2015 Obergefell v. Hodges U.S. Supreme Court decision, while calling for Congress to focus on “reducing inflation, securing our border, and restoring American energy independence.”

During campaign events, Hinson has emphasized her commitment to these goals and support for GOP objectives in Congress, highlighting her support for the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act President Donald Trump signed into law in July 2025 in a recent event with Senate Majority Leader John Thune.

Carlin has also said Hinson’s decision to not accept requests from news organizations like KCCI for debates ahead of the primary.

“Iowa voters deserve the opportunity to hear directly from both candidates before they vote on June 2,” he said in an April statement. “I have been ready and willing to debate from the start. Ashley Hinson has not answered the press, and she has not answered voters. That silence is a choice, and Iowans should know it.”

In the days leading up to the primary, Hinson has been holding events throughout the state as part of a “Fighting for Iowa” tour. On Saturday, she plans to rally with Sen. Joni Ernst, Secretary of State Paul Pate, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Attorney General Brenna Bird in a Polk County event.

The winner of the June 2 primary will face off against the Democratic nominee — either Turek or Wahls — in the general election.