Ashley Hinson
American politician and journalist (born 1983)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson Arenholz[1] (née Hinson; born June 27, 1983)[2] is an American politician and journalist serving as the U.S. representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district since 2021. The district, numbered as the 1st district during her first term, covers much of northeastern Iowa, including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque.
2nd district (2023–present)
Ashley Hinson | |
|---|---|
Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Abby Finkenauer |
| Constituency | 1st district (2021–2023) 2nd district (2023–present) |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 67th district | |
| In office January 9, 2017 – January 3, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Kraig Paulsen |
| Succeeded by | Eric Gjerde |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Ashley Elizabeth Hinson June 27, 1983 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Matthew Arenholz (m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | House website Campaign website |
A member of the Republican Party, Hinson was the Iowa state representative for the 67th district from 2017 to 2021, and the first woman to represent the district.[3] She won the 1st district in the U.S. House in the 2020 election, narrowly defeating incumbent Democrat Abby Finkenauer. Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks are the first Republican women to represent Iowa in the House.
Hinson won reelection in the redrawn 2nd district in 2022 and 2024. Hinson is a candidate in the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa to replace retiring Republican incumbent Joni Ernst.
Early life, education, and career
A native of Des Moines, Iowa, Hinson is a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and the University of Southern California, where she studied broadcast journalism.[4] She is an alumna of the Pi Beta Phi sorority.[1] Hinson began her career as an anchor for KCRG-TV in September 2005 where she anchored the morning and midday news.[5]
Prior to joining KCRG, she was a news and entertainment intern at KABC-TV in Los Angeles and worked for WOI-TV in Des Moines as a camera operator and editor for their evening newscasts.[citation needed]
Iowa House of Representatives
Elections
In 2016, Hinson ran for Iowa's 67th House District, based in Linn County, Iowa. She defeated Democrat Mark Seidl, 62.5%-37.5%.[6]
This Cedar Rapids suburban district is very competitive. 2016 Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won it over Donald Trump by two percentage points.[7]
In 2018, Hinson faced a competitive race against teacher Eric Gjerde. She defeated him, 52%–48%.[8][9]
Committee assignments
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.[citation needed]
U.S. House of Representatives
Elections
2020
On May 13, 2019, Hinson filed paperwork to run against first term Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer in Iowa'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 the National Republican Congressional Committee. She was endorsed by Iowa governor Kim Reynolds and lieutenant governor Adam 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 defeated Finkenauer in the November general election.[15] Hinson won by more than 10,000 votes—she garnered 51.2% of the vote while Finkenauer finished with 48.6%.[16]
2022
On October 29, 2021, most of Hinson's territory, including her home in Marion, near Cedar Rapids, became the 2nd district due to redistricting, and Hinson announced she would seek reelection there. In effect, she traded district numbers with fellow freshman Republican Mariannette Miller-Meeks.[17] Hinson defeated Democratic state Senator Liz Mathis in the general election.[18]
2024
On November 5, 2024, Hinson was re-elected with 57.1% of the vote, defeating Democrat Sarah Corkery.[19]
Tenure
Hinson, along with all other Senate and House Republicans, voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.[20]
On July 19, 2022, Hinson and 46 other Republican Representatives voted for the Respect for Marriage Act, which would codify the right to same-sex marriage in federal law.[21]
In 2022, Hinson was one of 39 Republicans to vote for the Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act of 2021, an antitrust package that would crack down on corporations for anti-competitive behavior.[22][23]
Agriculture
In 2023, in response to California'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 2023 United States farm bill, but it was ultimately not included in the farm bill extension.[25]
Infrastructure
In 2021, Hinson voted against the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL).[26]
One Big Beautiful Bill Act
In 2025, Hinson voted in favor of Trump's tax and policy legislation, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA).[27] Hinson held events celebrating OBBBA, particularly its tax and immigration impacts. The events were attended by OBBBA supporters; they were also protested by some of Hinson's constituents skeptical of OBBBA, who questioned some of the law's impacts for programs such as Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.[28][29]
Social Security
In 2020, Hinson said she was "open" to raising the retirement age for Social Security.[30]
War powers
In 2026, Hinson voted against "a measure that would have forced President Trump to seek congressional authorization to continue the U.S. war with Iran", in the context of the 2026 Iran war.[31] Hinson stated that Trump "possesses the inherent constitutional authority as our commander in chief to protect our American personnel and the interests in the region and to protect Americans here at home."[31]
Committee assignments
For the 119th Congress:[32]
Caucus memberships
U.S. Senate candidacy
On September 2, 2025, Hinson announced her candidacy for the 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa, following incumbent Senator Joni Ernst's announcement that she would not seek reelection.[34][35]
Electoral history
| Election | Political result | Candidate | Party | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Iowa House of Representatives General Election, 2018 [36] 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 | |||
| Republican hold | |||||
Personal life
Hinson is a resident of Marion, Iowa. She is married with two children.[38] Hinson is a Protestant.[39]
