Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson Re-Elected in Iowa’s 2nd District

Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District represents the northeastern part of the state.

Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson secured her third term to represent Iowa’s 2nd state.^nd Congressional District in the race against two other candidates.

Hinson won with 57% of the vote against Democratic opponent Sarah Corkery, who received 42%, and nonpartisan candidate Jody Paffett with 1%.

She celebrated her victory in a room full of supporters Tuesday night, saying her election was a loud and clear signal that Iowans believe in strong conservative leadership. She said Iowa’s political landscape is a model for the United States.

“We sent a message that this is your money, not the government’s money,” she said. “We have also made it clear that women’s sports are for girls, not biological males. And most importantly, we made it clear that our rights come from God, not from government.”

The Second District includes Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City in the northeastern part of the state.

Hinson, 41, grew up in West Des Moines, is a former member of the Iowa House of Representatives and was a news anchor at KCRG. She successfully ran against former news anchor Liz Mathis in 2022, winning her second term by 8 percentage points.

She said she plans to oppose Democratic policies of the Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris that threaten conservative values.

“We won’t let them do that, will we?” Hinson addressed her supporters.

Former President Donald Trump endorsed Hinson for Congress in September. Posted on Truth Social that she is a “defender of the American family.”

“In Congress, she fights hard to secure our border, cut taxes, cut burdensome regulations, promote American agriculture, and protect our Second Amendment, which is always under siege,” Trump wrote.

Hinson has made it clear that she plans to support Trump over the next four years.

“Let’s talk about what President Trump’s first day will look like. Closing the border – I think we all agree that it needs to happen. Restart American energy projects, fire the swamp bureaucrats,” Hinson said. “And you know what, I know this man pretty well and I bet he’ll do it before most of us have our second cup of coffee tomorrow. He’ll be busy.”

Hinson said her top priority Congress faces the challenge of securing the U.S.-Mexico southern border and deporting millions of people who are living in the U.S. without authorization. She believes that Iowa and every state in the United States are border states.

“Iowa law enforcement officials recently told me that cartel-related drug trafficking has tripled in our state since Biden took office. Securing our borders, stopping illegal immigration and protecting our country is priority No. 1,” she said.

Another focus of her campaign is cutting costs and permanently cutting taxes, she said.

“Another way to reduce inflation is to adopt all of the above energy policies: expanding biofuels, reopening the Keystone XL pipeline, and authorizing reforms to restore America’s energy independence and bring back good-paying energy jobs,” she said.

During the campaign, Hinson outsold her opponents by millions. Through Sept. 30, Hinson had raised $5.1 million during the election cycle and spent $3.2 million. Corkery raised $432,000 and spent $317,000. Paffett raised $26,000 and spent almost as much.

Corkery, a first-time candidate, focused her campaign on abortion and access to health care and presented herself as a Democrat who would serve Congress on a bipartisan basis.

She told the Register after the race was called in Hinson’s favor that she hoped Hinson would try to open up and listen to those across the line. She said she spent election night with friends and family.

“It’s certainly not what we hoped for, but considering we were David versus Goliath, I don’t think anyone will be surprised that we didn’t win,” Corkery said. “We put in a lot of effort for someone who only raised half a million dollars.”

She said she appreciated that there was no “name-calling or mud-slinging” between her and Hinson during the election.

“We need to wish her well because we need to find a way forward,” she said.

Corkery said she would be open to running for president in the future. She added that she was happy to have Paffett as another contender in the race.

“Like I said, it was a positive experience,” Corkery said. “I hope more people are inspired by what we’ve done and the progress we’ve made to take part in the race because it’s possible.”

Paffett did not respond to the Register for comment after several attempts.

Sabina Martin covers politics for the Register. She can be reached at [email protected] or (515) 284-8132. Follow her on X at @sabinefmartin.

(This story has been updated to add new information.)