Ashley Hinson | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Abby Finkenauer |
| Constituency | 1st district (2021–2023) 2nd district (2023–present) |
| Member of theIowa House of Representatives from the67th district | |
| In office January 9, 2017 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Kraig Paulsen |
| Succeeded by | Eric Gjerde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ashley Elizabeth Hinson (1983-06-27)June 27, 1983 (age 42) Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson[1] (born June 27, 1983)[2] is an American politician and journalist serving as theU.S. representative forIowa's 2nd congressional district since 2021. The district, numbered as the1st district during her first term, covers much of northeastern Iowa, includingCedar Rapids,Waterloo,Cedar Falls, andDubuque. She is a Republican.
A member of theRepublican Party, Hinson was theIowa state representative for the 67th district from 2017 to 2021, the first woman to represent the district.[3] She won a seat in theUnited States House of Representatives in the2020 election, narrowly defeating incumbentDemocratAbby Finkenauer. Hinson andMariannette Miller-Meeks are the first Republican women to represent Iowa in the House.
Hinson is a candidate in the2026 United States Senate election in Iowa to replace retiring Republican incumbentJoni Ernst.
A native ofDes Moines, Iowa, Hinson is a graduate ofValley High School inWest Des Moines and theUniversity of Southern California, where she studiedbroadcast journalism.[4] She is an alumna of thePi Beta Phi sorority.[1] Hinson began her career as an anchor forKCRG-TV in September 2005 where she anchored the morning and midday news.[5]
Prior to joining KCRG, she was a news and entertainment intern atKABC-TV in Los Angeles and worked forWOI-TV in Des Moines as a camera operator and editor for their evening newscasts.
In 2016, Hinson ran for Iowa's 67th House District, based inLinn County, Iowa. She defeated Democrat Mark Seidl, 62.5%-37.5%.[6]
ThisCedar Rapids suburban district is very competitive. 2016 Democratic presidential nomineeHillary Clinton won it overDonald Trump by two percentage points.[7]
In 2018, Hinson faced a competitive race against teacherEric Gjerde. She defeated him, 52%–48%.[8][9]
In the Iowa House, Hinson served on the Judiciary, Public Safety, and Transportation Committees, which she chaired. She also served on the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Capitals Appropriations Subcommittee.
On May 13, 2019, Hinson filed paperwork to run against Democratic incumbentAbby Finkenauer inIowa's 1st congressional district.[7]
The district, which encompasses 20 counties in northeastern Iowa, was flipped in the 2018 election.[10] Hinson was announced as a "contender" by theNational Republican Congressional Committee. She was endorsed byIowa governorKim Reynolds andlieutenant governorAdam Gregg.[11] On June 2, 2020, Hinson won the Republican primary.[12]
Hinson focused her campaign on cutting taxes and building infrastructure.[3] In July 2020,The New York Times reported several instances of Hinson's campaign website plagiarizing portions of articles from media outlets. Hinson said she "was unaware of the plagiarism when I reviewed drafts presented to me by staff. As a journalist I take this extremely seriously and am deeply sorry for the mistake. The staff responsible will be held accountable."[13][14]
Hinson beat Finkenauer in the November general election.[15] Hinson won by more than 10,000 votes--she garnered 51.2% of the vote whilst Finkenauer finished with 48.6%.[16]
On October 29, 2021, most of Hinson's territory, including her home inMarion, near Cedar Rapids, became the2nd district due to redistricting, and Hinson announced she would seek reelection there. In effect, she traded district numbers with fellow freshman RepublicanMariannette Miller-Meeks.[17] Hinson defeated Democratic state SenatorLiz Mathis in the general election.[18]
On November 5, 2024, Hinson was re-elected with 57.1% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sarah Corkery.[19]
Hinson, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against theAmerican Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[20]
On July 19, 2022, Hinson and 46 other Republican Representatives voted for theRespect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right tosame-sex marriage in federal law.[21]
In 2022, Hinson was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2022, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[22][23]
In 2023, in response toCalifornia's Proposition 12, Hinson introduced the Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression (EATS) Act, which sought to prohibit state and local governments from imposing production standards on agricultural goods sold in interstate commerce.[24] The proposal became a key point of contention during negotiations over the 2023United States farm bill, but it was ultimately not included in the farm bill extension.[25]
In 2021, Hinson voted against theInfrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.[26]
In 2020, Hinson said she was "open" to raising the retirement age forSocial Security.[27]
For the119th Congress:[28]
On September 2, 2025, Hinson announced her candidacy for the2026 United States Senate election in Iowa, following incumbent SenatorJoni Ernst's announcement that she would not seek reelection.[30][31]
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa House of Representatives General Election, 2018 [32] District 67 Turnout: 16,537 | Republican hold | Ashley Hinson | Republican | 8,593 | 52.0% | ||
| Eric Gjerde | Democratic | 7,932 | 48.0% | ||||
| Write-in votes | 12 | 0.1% | |||||
| Iowa House of Representatives General Election, 2016 [6] District 67 Turnout: 17,997 | Republican hold | Ashley Hinson | Republican | 11,248 | 62.50% | ||
| Mark Seidl | Democratic | 6,749 | 37.50% | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ashley Hinson | 212,088 | 51.2 | |
| Democratic | Abby Finkenauer (incumbent) | 201,347 | 48.7 | |
| Write-in | 434 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ashley Hinson (incumbent) | 172,181 | 54.1 | |
| Democratic | Liz Mathis | 145,940 | 45.8 | |
| Write-in | 278 | 0.1 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ashley Hinson (incumbent) | 233,340 | 57.1 | ||
| Democratic | Sarah Corkery | 169,740 | 41.5 | ||
| Independent | Jody Puffett | 5,381 | 1.3 | ||
| Write-in | 341 | 0.1 | |||
| Total votes | 408,802 | 100.0 | |||
| Republicanhold | |||||
Hinson is a resident ofMarion,Iowa. She is married with two children.[34]Hinson is aProtestant.[35]
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| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 1st congressional district 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromIowa's 2nd congressional district 2023–present | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 261st | Succeeded by |
| People | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
