ROOKE: Republicans Rally Around Rising Star In Senate Race. Let’s Not Get Too Excited Yet

Republican Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson announced Tuesday that she is running for the open Iowa Senate seat left vacant after longtime Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst recently announced her decision to retire.

Hinson is quickly being considered a rising star in the GOP, garnering two high-profile endorsements Friday from Senate Majority Leader John Thune and National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) chairman Tim Scott, along with a laundry list of House and Senate GOP leaders backing her campaign.

Despite a brief stint earning her Bachelor of Arts in broadcast journalism from the University of Southern California, Hinson is a born and raised Iowan. After college, she became a local journalist, married her husband, Matthew Arenholz, and had two children.

She joined the political world at the same time as President Donald Trump in 2016, with her successful run for the Iowa state House of Representatives’ 67th district. Hinson transitioned to federal office by winning a U.S. House seat in 2020, representing Iowa’s 1st district until redistricting shifted her to the 2nd district in 2023. Now she has her eyes on the U.S. Senate.

From all accounts so far, the full weight of the GOP is backing her campaign, which would make her run a breeze in the deep red state. Still, she’ll need the MAGA base’s support, and her record is somewhat confusing, but mostly what voters are expecting.

Heritage Action for America provides conservative rankings for all members of Congress based on their voting record. The scorecard gives Hinson a 59 percent conservative score for the 118th Congress, with an overall lifetime grade of 72 percent. Hinson’s record for the last Congressional session (118th) is remarkably low, considering she hails from a state that votes approximately 6 percentage points more Republican than the national average in presidential elections, according to the Cook Partisan Voting Index (CPVI).

Iowa Voter Registration Update
September

Since August 1st
🟥GOP +633
🟦Dem -77
* Net Gain GOP +700*

Since 2024 Election
🟥 GOP +27.6k
🟦 Dem +7.3k
*Net Gain GOP +20.3k* pic.twitter.com/jygNpI5L59

— America First Insight (@AF_Insight) September 3, 2025

Heritage cites Hinson’s voting record on issues like voting against H.R. 7888 (Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act), which would have guaranteed strong reforms to FISA and the Section 702 program. She voted to combine four massive spending bills that sent billions in federal aid to Ukraine. She also voted for the FY24 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which provided federal funds for abortion, enabled sex-reassignment surgeries for service members, and promoted Critical Race Theory and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives within the U.S. military.

Hinson supported former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney for the House Republican Conference Chair position during an initial challenge in February 2021, and later backed New York Rep. Elise Stefanik as Cheney’s replacement when Cheney was ultimately ousted in May 2021. (Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!)

I supported @Liz_Cheney for Conference Chair and am glad she got a vote of confidence tonight.

That said, I’m with Congressman Jordan – we HAVE to be united to take back the Majority to stop the radical agenda Democrats are pursuing.

Donate: https://t.co/XvOEOxRrks https://t.co/p1t4uXnc9K

— Ashley Hinson (@hinsonashley) February 4, 2021

The Iowa Senate hopeful has publicly admitted to using Planned Parenthood services for women’s health care early in her career, and famously said that “the government should stay out of women’s health care decisions.”

However, her voting record on pro-life issues is excellent. Despite her personal experience with Planned Parenthood services, Hinson has consistently supported efforts to defund the nonprofit at the federal level, including voting for related bills in Congress and introducing legislation like the Providing for Life Act in 2022, which aimed to redirect resources toward alternatives like pregnancy centers. She also co-sponsored the Life at Conception Act and supported Iowa’s six-week abortion ban.

When her Democratic opponent, former Iowa state Sen. Liz Mathis, attacked Hinson over her pro-life stance, Hinson responded in part: “I’m unapologetically pro-life and I’ll keep working to save as many lives as possible.” (JD Vance Says He’s Ready To Be President And Democrats Have Picked Their 2028 Frontrunner)

Hinson was a frequent critic of the Biden administration’s border policies, using it as a focus during her reelection campaign. On immigration, Hinson has a consistent record of voting in favor of legislation aimed at enhancing border security, restricting illegal immigration, and increasing enforcement measures. Her votes align with Republican efforts to limit asylum claims, fund deportation operations, and impose stricter penalties on immigration violations.

Iowans overwhelmingly voted for President Trump’s America First agenda — ending illegal immigration and preventing dangerous criminals and drugs from entering our communities, cutting wasteful spending, and unleashing American energy. Throughout this process, I was proud to…

— Ashley Hinson (@RepAshleyHinson) May 22, 2025

In order to ensure that President Donald Trump’s policies are enacted into law, it’s not enough to have a GOP majority in both chambers. He’ll need Republican members who are willing to fight for these policies during the tough legislative battles ahead. And while Hinson’s history is a bit of a mixed bag, her current voting record shows that she is at least open to backing Trump’s agenda.

Follow Mary Rooke on X: @MaryRooke

Sign up for Mary Rooke’s weekly newsletter here!