U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson, Zach Wahls submit petitions for Iowa primary ballot

U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson and Iowa Sen. Zach Wahls both argued their campaigns are able to reach across the aisle as they submitted petition signatures Wednesday to qualify in the 2026 primaries for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat.

As she submitted paperwork, Hinson said her campaign is focused on showing the successes of GOP control of Congress and the Trump administration in an midterm cycle expected to be difficult for Republicans.

Hinson, who currently represents Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, is the best-known Republican U.S. Senate candidate for 2026, having garnered endorsements from President Donald Trump and many other Republicans in Iowa and Congress, including incumbent U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.

Hinson submitted 15,000 petition signatures Wednesday to the Iowa Secretary of State to qualify for the June 2, 2026 primary. Senate candidates are required to submit 3,500 signatures from Iowans supporting their campaign — which must include 100 signatures from at least 19 different counties — by Friday, March 13 to have their name listed on the primary ballot.

One other Republican U.S. Senate candidate, former state legislator Jim Carlin, filed his campaign paperwork March 2. Two other announced GOP candidates, John Berman and Joshua Smith, have yet to file.

At a news conference after submitting her paperwork, Hinson said her petition signatures came from all 99 counties. She thanked her campaign staff and volunteers for their work to knock doors, hold events and speak with their communities about Hinson and her case for keeping the seat in Republican control, saying her campaign has “really built a movement of people who are sick and tired of the way Washington, D.C.’s chaos and dysfunction has been running, and who will not rest until our nation’s capital shares my goal of running a whole lot more like Iowa.”

Though Republicans have had several election cycles of major wins in Iowa, some political forecasters believe GOP candidates may face more difficult races in 2026 in both Iowa and across the nation, especially as some voters express dissatisfaction with certain federal program cuts or economic decisions like tariffs enacted by the Republican-controlled Congress and Trump. While some House seats representing Iowa are expected to be more contentious, the Senate race remains rated a “likely Republican” seat by Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball.

Hinson said she believed her campaign would succeed and win over needed “no party” and moderate votes by showcasing that she and Republican lawmakers have been addressing the top concerns of Iowans while serving in Washington.

“I think it’s all about priorities,” Hinson said at the news conference. “And I listen to what those priorities are, because those are Republican priorities, but they’re also Iowans’ priorities, and they are what I continue to hear as I travel through all 99 counties of this state, right? I think about what I just mentioned — child care access, maternal health care access, affordability, for buying a home, making sure health care costs are lower — those are all things that I think we all are raising good solutions, and I’ve proven myself as that kind of leader.”

Before heading to the Iowa Capitol, Hinson spoke to conservatives at the Westside Conservative Club earlier Wednesday at the Machine Shed restaurant in Urbandale. She reiterated to the crowd her focus is on advancing conservative proposals that can make it to the president’s desk.

“Good is the enemy of perfect, and I will always vote for the most conservative bill we can get consensus on,” Hinson said. “That has always been my philosophy. … Now don’t get me wrong, there are those times when you put a line in the sand, we say, ‘that’s it.’ Iowa agriculture is mine. You know, when I look at the fights I’ve picked with our leadership, they’ve been standing up for what’s best for my state and for Iowa agriculture. I’m not afraid to pick those fights, but I also know when it’s important to say, ‘hey, I’ve gotten the best deal I’m going to give my district.'”

Wahls agrees to debates, submits primary paperwork

Wahls, a Democratic candidate running for the U.S. Senate, also submitted his paperwork to run Wednesday with more than 10,000 signatures from all 99 counties. He said 15% of the signatures come from registered Republicans and independents.

Wahls is expected to be in one of the most competitive primary races in the state in June against Iowa Rep. Josh Turek, D-Council Bluffs. Turek is planning to file his campaign paperwork Thursday.

Wahls led in fundraising between October and December 2025 at $742,294, with Turek raising $677,806 — though both were behind Hinson’s $1.68 million raised in the most recent Federal Election Commission reporting period.

Though Wahls was the highest Democratic fundraiser in the primary race, Turek has received some support from national Senate Democrats through the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee. The DSCC has not made an endorsement in the race, but other Democrats previously running in the U.S. Senate primary — Iowa Rep. J.D. Scholten, D-Sioux City, and former Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director Nathan Sage — both endorsed Turek.

As the June 2 primary nears, Turek committed earlier in March to two televised debates for the U.S. primary.

“This campaign is about making life better for Iowans, and I look forward to bringing that message straight to voters during these debates,” Turek said in a statement. “I hope my opponent will join me and continue our Iowa tradition of debates.”

Speaking with reporters Wednesday, Wahls said conversations are ongoing, but he plans to appear in televised debates. When asked how many debates he wanted to participate in, Wahls told reporters, “as many as you guys want to invite us to.”

“Well, it’s a little early to get into specifics, but we definitely are looking forward to having the opportunity to take this message to voters,” Wahls said. “We know that it’s resonating with people, both in the Democratic Party and across the political spectrum, and you know, you’ll see us on the (air)waves relatively soon.”

While some campaign operatives have described Wahls as the “progressive” and Turek as the “moderate” Democratic candidate, Wahls said his campaign has built a “broad coalition” around progressive and moderate policies, as well as issues like implementing term limits, which he said some people believe are “a conservative idea.”

“I think for most Iowans, it’s not just about, you know, ‘is it a Democratic idea or Republican idea?'” Wahls said. “And I reject the idea that party has a monopoly on all the right ideas. I believe that the best ideas are the ones that work best for our state, and I really do not care which party they come from.”

Hinson told reporters she believed Wahls was currently positioned to be her likely opponent in the general election.

“Let’s just say I think Zach Wahls seems to be running away with it right now,” Hinson said. “He’s raising the money. He seems to have the momentum. But no matter if it’s Zack Wahls or Josh Turek, I will beat either of them, and I know that I look forward to contrasting my vision for the future of our state and our country with theirs.”