U.S. Senate Candidates Debate Immigration, Agriculture, and Iran
Iowa’s U.S. Senate Candidates Ashley Hinson (R) and Josh Turek (D) Debate Key Issues
Iowa's U.S. Senate candidates, Ashley Hinson (R) and Josh Turek (D), participated in a debate hosted by PBS and moderated by Kay Henderson, less than a month before the November election. The discussion covered immigration, the war in Iran, and agriculture, with no time limits.
Immigration
Immigration emerged as a significant campaign issue due to recent legislative actions and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reforms.
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Ashley Hinson (R): "We need to be deporting these dangerous criminal illegals. We have now sealed off the border that just took about six months to get that done, and now we have zero crossings happening at our southern border."
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Josh Turek (D): "If you have come here illegally and you have committed violent crimes, you should no longer be here. But at the same time, I think we can recognize that we need to have a pathway to earn citizenship for those that have come here legally."
Hinson represents Iowa's 2nd district in the U.S. House and claims to have supported legislation that encourages law enforcement cooperation with ICE.
Tariffs
Tariffs, another hot-button topic, significantly impact Iowans' finances, according to the Midwest Economic Policy Institute, which found that tariffs increased Midwestern families' costs by an average of $2,000 in 2025.
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Josh Turek (D): "We certainly need strategic tariffs and tariffs to protect American jobs and manufacturing, but not off the backs of the agricultural industry and small federal firms."
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Ashley Hinson (R): "I agree that we need to have strategic tariffs, but I think they should be fair for all Iowans."