Rep. Ashley Hinson, backed by President Trump's endorsement, absolutely steamrolled the Iowa GOP Senate primary on Tuesday night, pulling in 74.4% of the vote to former state senator Jim Carlin's 25.6%. Another primary, another Trump pick winning. At this point the endorsement is less a boost and more a formality — a coronation with extra steps.
But sure, tell us again how Trump's grip on the party is "slipping." We'll wait.
Hinson, currently serving her 3rd term representing Iowa's 2nd Congressional District in the northeastern part of the state, didn't just win. She dominated. Decision Desk HQ called the race with roughly 23% of the vote counted because the margin was so absurd they didn't need to see the rest. That's not a primary. That's a statement.
The endorsement lineup behind Hinson read like an Iowa Republican all-star roster. Sen. Joni Ernst, who's held her Senate seat since 2015, backed Hinson. Gov. Kim Reynolds endorsed her. Attorney General Brenna Bird, Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, and Secretary of State Paul Pate all lined up behind her too. When the sitting governor, the sitting senator, the attorney general, and the president all agree on the same candidate, maybe — just maybe — that candidate is the right pick.
Carlin, to his credit, ran. That's about the nicest thing you can say about a 25.6% performance. The former state senator tried to position himself as the alternative, but when Trump points in a direction, Iowa Republicans follow. That's not a criticism. That's a compliment to voters who know a winning formula when they see one.
Now Hinson heads into the November general election, where she'll face Democrat Josh Turek, a state representative who won his own primary Tuesday night with 63.4% of the vote. Turek is a four-time wheelchair basketball Paralympian, which the media will absolutely fawn over for the next five months. Get ready for approximately ten thousand profiles about his "inspiring journey."
None of that changes the math. Iowa is Trump country. Hinson is Trump-endorsed. And the last time Democrats got excited about flipping an Iowa Senate seat, they ended up learning the same lesson they always learn — heartland voters don't care what the New York Times editorial board thinks.
As Newsmax reported, the primary results dropped Tuesday night, June 2, and the message was crystal clear. Trump's endorsement batting average keeps climbing heading into fall, and the establishment wing of the GOP keeps pretending that's not happening.
Here's what the Democrats and the Never Trump crowd still don't understand. Every primary like this makes the general election stronger. Hinson doesn't limp into November after a bruising 51-49 dogfight. She walks in with three-quarters of her own party behind her, unified, funded, and ready.
Trump endorsed. Iowa delivered. On to November.
