As Iowa Senate Race Tightens, Outside Groups Pour Millions Into Attack Campaigns

Over a hundred million dollars have flooded the Iowa Senate race from outside spenders. Instead of supporting the candidate they want to win, they are throwing money at opposing the one they want to lose.

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson is going head-to-head with Democrat state Rep. Josh Turek to take retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst’s seat.

Less than two weeks from Election Day, the polls are still swinging and money is still coming in.

According to the Des Moines Register’s analysis of campaign finance data, outside groups have spent over $137 million on the open race. AdImpact has projected that total ad spending could reach $195 million by Election Day.

However, most of the money spent has been in opposition to either candidate rather than in support.

In total, $53.8 million has gone to oppose Turek, and $48.3 million has been spent to oppose Hinson.

According to RealClearPolitics polling, Hinson is leading by less than a point. The two have been swinging in the polls, trading a one- or two-point lead for the past few weeks. The most recent poll, conducted by Co/efficient this week, shows Hinson leading Turek by 3 points, at 48% to 45%.

Iowa’s Senate race could be the one to make or break the GOP’s effort to hold the majority in the 120th Congress.

The largest spender is the Senate Leadership Fund, led by Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune. SLF has spent over $35 million in Iowa in hopes of keeping the seat red.

Nearly all of it has been opposition spending directed at Turek. The group has pledged to reach $53 million in Iowa by Election Day, running TV and streaming ads, mail, text, and GOTV efforts urging Iowans to vote for Hinson.

“Ashley Hinson has a proven record of taking on big fights and delivering real results for Iowa’s farmers and working families,” SLF Executive Director Alex Latcham said in a statement in June.

“Hinson’s opponent, Josh Turek, is a far-Left politician who is bankrolled by Chuck Schumer, and Iowans can no doubt count on Turek to repay that debt by rubber-stamping the Democrat Party’s radical agenda. Senate Leadership Fund is proud to support Iowa’s next U.S. Senator, Ashley Hinson, as she works to defeat Schumer’s hand-picked puppet in November,” Latcham’s statement continued.

America PAC, funded by tech billionaire and Republican supporter Elon Musk, has spent over $2 million on the race, again with nearly all of it opposing Turek. Musk has spent over $360 million on the midterm elections, backing Republicans.

According to FEC reports, WinSenate, funded by Democratic Senate Majority PAC, is the largest spender against Hinson. As of Oct. 20, the group has spent $28.2 million against Hinson in Iowa, second only to its spending in Ohio. But it is speeding up its spending.

WinSenate has spent $170.7 million nationally, still behind SLF at $252.3 million. However, both groups are accelerating spending as the election draws closer.

VoteVets, a progressive group claiming to support veterans, came in third place, spending over $17.5 million. The group fairly evenly split its spending between opposing Hinson and supporting Turek.

The same can be said for Americans for Prosperity Action, a conservative group that has spent over $12 million supporting Hinson and opposing Turek.

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