Ashley Hinson, Josh Turek find common ground, clash on key issues in debate
Iowa’s U.S. Senate candidates sparred over policy and priorities during their second debate of the election season, offering voters another look at where the candidates agree and where they differ.
Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek took to the debate stage on Tuesday night in Des Moines.
Candidates were each given one minute to respond to questions, with 30-second follow-ups as permitted. While candidates were questioned on policy topics, they also faced questions about allegations surrounding their campaigns and political records.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Cancer rates and water quality
Candidates were asked a series of questions regarding cancer rates and water quality in the state. Both candidates could agree that the cancer crisis in Iowa is something that needs to be addressed, noting farmers are a part of the conversation to a solution.
“It is important that we get to the bottom of our cancer rates here in Iowa. Cancer does not discriminate against who it affects. It's not a Republican or Democrat. It's an American problem and it's an Iowa problem, and we need to solve it,” Hinson said.
The pair was asked if they would support a government requirement for at-home water filtration systems, to which both candidates said no.
“I think the way that we go about this is we need more funding to infrastructure for nitrate removal plants, but also to our farmers,” Turek said. “Our farmers want to do the right thing, and I think incentives to them for cover crops and to not put down fertilizer in the winter months, is the best way to address this.”
Candidates find common ground
Throughout the debate, a variety of topics brought the candidates to agreement, with one of the most notable being whether taxpayers should fund infrastructure costs for large projects if the project were to fall through.
Both Turek and Hinson could agree that for projects such as the proposed $15 billion steel plant, data centers or the reopening of the Duane Arnold Energy Center, the costs should not come from taxpayers.
“I would say on infrastructure, that should be covered by the companies themselves,” Turek said.
Hinson agreed with Turek, saying that accountability measures are important.
“Taxpayers should not be on the hook for this kind of investment if it goes awry. I think to Representative Turek's point, I think we would agree on that, that taxpayers should not be on the hook,” Hinson said. “We need definite accountability measures built in.”
U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek take questions during a debate on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Both Hinson and Turek also agreed that gas and diesel prices needed to come down and the solution was not by making a deal with Russia.
The question comes as President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. would import significant amounts of diesel fuel from Russia. According to USA Today, Trump said Russia would supply the U.S. and global marketplaces with 300,000 tons of diesel fuel and an additional one million tons in November.
In exchange for the fuel, the Treasury Department will temporarily lift Russian oil sanctions.
“We need to lower gas prices in this country. We need to lower diesel prices, but I don't think we need to make any deal with Russia to do it,” Hinson said.
Hinson said that instead of cutting deals with Russia, the way to address the prices is by looking into a diesel rebate program and investing in America’s biofuels.
“We actually agree on this. I want to do everything that I can because everywhere I'm going across Iowa, I'm hearing from Iowans talking about gas prices and diesel prices, but I don't think it should be at the expense of benefiting the economy of someone like Vladimir Putin, who we clearly cannot trust,” Turek said.
Hinson questioned on stocks, Turek on sports
The candidates both participated in a short series of questions targeted to each one specifically. Turek was asked about his stance on transgender individuals in sports and whether Congress should step in, and Hinson was asked about stocks.
Turek said that he does not believe Congress should step in and address transgender and Title IX athletes; instead, decisions should be left to each sport’s governing body.
However, Turek made sure to note that he does not believe biological males should compete in female sports.
Meanwhile, Hinson was asked about a claim that she owned between $1 million and $5 million in private stock. Hinson reiterated that she no longer owned publicly traded stock but remained silent on the investments into private stock.
Hinson did say that her husband owns a portion of private stock in the company he created and sold in 2021.
Both candidates also briefly touched on topics like rural health care, Social Security and immigration. During closing statements, each candidate gave voters one last pitch as to why each candidate should be elected.
“I've been traveling this state, I know, I've heard from you. I feel your pain. I know that you're struggling just to keep food on the table, a roof above your head, and keep gas in your tank,” Turek said. “I want to go up there and fight for you because I'm one of you. I've been in that same struggle, and you deserve someone in the United States Senate that is fighting for the average family, the working families, the middle class.”
Ashley Hinson defends her stance on the Iran War during a Davenport stop announcing the support of a veterans' coalition Saturday, Oct. 13, 2026.
Hinson focused in her closing speech on the future of the country.
“I'm running for this because I'm a mom. I'm concerned about the future of our country and what we're doing to leave it for the next generation. And what you heard tonight was broken record and broken rhetoric,” Hinson said. “We need to make sure that we're sending a true Iowan who's going to fight for taxpayers, who's going to fight for rural America, and who's going to fight to make our country safe and secure.”
U.S. Senate candidates Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson take the stage for a debate on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek debates his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek debates his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek debates his Republican opponent Ashley Hinson on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson debates her Democratic opponent Josh Turek on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek take questions during a debate on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek take questions during a debate on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
U.S. Senate candidates Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek take questions during a debate on Oct. 7, 2026, at Iowa PBS in Johnston.
This article was prepared with the help of AI technology using information collected and verified by journalists.
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