Democrat Josh Turek defeated Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson to take Iowa’s open Senate seat, NBC News projects, a critical flip for his party in the fight for the majority.
\n\nTurek, a state representative who won a contested primary earlier this year with the tacit backing of Democratic leaders in Washington, effectively tied Hinson to President Donald Trump and a Republican agenda in Washington that proved unpopular with voters in Iowa.
\n\nTurek hammered Hinson on her repeated votes backing Trump’s trade war, which has hurt Iowa producers and consumers, and the war with Iran, which has contributed to rising prices for gas, diesel fuel and products that are transported into and around the state.
\n\nThe victory could not have come at a more opportune moment for Democrats. To wrest control of the Senate from Republicans, they needed a net gain of at least four seats. Democrats had not won a Senate seat in Iowa in nearly two decades.
\n\nHinson leaned heavily on her record over three terms in the House and Iowa’s Republican tilt, but she could not overcome Trump’s sagging approval ratings and voter frustrations about the cost of living.
\n\nAs was the case across the country, Trump and his…
Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/health