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By Anna Skinner
Associate News Editor
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Iowa Democrat Josh Turek has made health care the centerpiece of his Senate campaign, and it has become one of his strongest lines of attack against Republican U.S. Representative Ashley Hinson.
With only two days until the midterm elections, both candidates are doubling down on their campaigns for the hotly contested U.S. Senate seat, which could flip the upper chamber where Republicans currently have control. While the economy remains top of mind for most Iowan voters, according to an October survey by Emerson Polling, health care is one of the clearest contrasts in the state’s closely watched Senate race, as the survey results show Democrats hold a clear advantage with voters compared to other issues.
The Emerson Polling survey of 650 likely Iowa voters conducted between October 5 and 6 found that people most concerned about health care are more likely to support Turek over Hinson, giving Turek an opening to expand beyond the party’s base as he argues that Medicaid cuts, rising costs, rural care shortages and Iowa's cancer crisis have left many residents struggling.
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Newsweek reached out to campaigns for both Hinson and Turek by email for comment.
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“Voters who find healthcare or threats to democracy to be the top issue facing the state break for the Democratic candidates by double digits,” Spencer Kimball, executive director of Emerson College Polling, said in the poll's release.
By contrast, voters who identify the economy as their top concern are more likely to support Hinson. However, at 47 percent to Turek's 43 percent, her advantage on economic issues is smaller than the lead Turek holds among voters who rank health care as their top priority.
Meanwhile, Turek argues that economy and health care are not isolated concerns.
“Too many Iowans are dealing with a cancer diagnosis and now dealing with skyrocketing prices on top of it,” Turek posted on X in mid-October. “As I’ve traveled this state, I’ve heard horror stories of patients skipping treatment because they can’t afford to put gas in their tank. Today, I sat down with Iowa doctors, nurses, cancer survivors, and families to hear how rising costs on gas, groceries, and medication are piling on top of what cancer patients already face.”
Iowa has the second-highest cancer incidence rate in the U.S., according to data from the Iowa Cancer Registry. To make matters more pressing, the cancer incidence rate is rising while the U.S. rate falls, with lung, melanoma, breast, and prostate cancer among those most diagnosed in Iowa.
Hinson has also addressed the state’s cancer crisis in her campaign messaging and recently introduced a bill in Congress aiming to improve access to cancer screenings.
“It’s unacceptable that Iowa has the second highest rate of cancer in the country. Senator [Chuck Grassley] and I are leading a bipartisan effort to improve access to screenings,” Hinson posted on X on October 23.
However, Turek argues that Hinson’s actions in Congress have harmed Iowans’ access to health care. He has attacked her vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which President Donald Trump signed into law in July 2025, arguing that its Medicaid changes could leave thousands of Iowans without coverage.
“She has, with her vote on the Big Beautiful Bill, she has kicked 110,000 Iowans off their health care in a state with a health care crisis and a cancer crisis,” he said during one of two debates between the candidates, adding that thousands of Iowans have seen their health care premiums double or triple.
Hinson, meanwhile, has highlighted her efforts to lower prescription drug costs and expand access to screenings and rural care.
“We need to make life more affordable for working families because Iowans are getting squeezed by high prices,” she posted on X on October 24. “In the Senate, I’ll make no tax on tips, overtime, and Social Security permanent, lower the cost of childcare and housing, and take on Big Pharma and Big Health Insurance companies to lower premiums and prescription drug prices. I’ll work with anyone who is serious about bringing down prices immediately.”
Whether the issue can overcome Hinson's strength on economic concerns remains unclear. But with health care ranking among Iowa voters' top concerns and Democrats viewing Medicaid and care affordability as winning issues, it has become a defining issue in Turek’s campaign.
Why the Iowa Senate Race Matters in the 2026 Midterms
Democrats are hoping to flip control of both the House and the Senate in this year's midterm elections. Republicans are trying to fight off a blue wave as Trump's approval ratings continue to slide and voters express concerns tied to the economy, inflation, rising fuel costs and the Iran war.
Iowa had been thought to be a safe spot for Republicans, having last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 2008 and to the governor's mansion in 2006. The state also backed Trump in all three of his White House runs, including by 13 points in 2024. But as Democrats have gained momentum, the state has become a prime target as one of the four GOP seats they need to flip—while defending their own—to take control of the upper chamber.
Biggest Issues Facing Iowa Voters
According to the Emerson poll, Iowa voters are most concerned about the economy amid inflation and surging gas prices. The economy led top issues for voters, at 42 percent. It was followed by health care at 18 percent, threats to democracy at 10 percent and education at 8 percent.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Jason Lemon and Gray R. Thomas
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