The Iowa Democratic Party launched an ad campaign Thursday targeting U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson’s finances, aiming to reach voters at and around the Iowa State Fair.
The campaign is part of IDP’s “Iowa Can’t Afford Ashley” tour, which has included events and ads criticizing Hinson for becoming more wealthy since she began serving in the U.S. House. Democrats, including Hinson’s opponent in the U.S. Senate race, state Rep. Josh Turek, have said Hinson has misrepresented herself in statements and interviews saying she is a “working mom” who understands the pressure Iowa families are facing because of rising costs.
Hinson has said she relates to struggles with affordability, but her opponents argue she has become significantly wealthier since first taking office in 2021, partially related to her husband not divesting from stock in his former company.
People are also reading…
The new ad campaign focuses on sharing this information with visitors to the Iowa State Fair, an IDP spokesperson said. Blocks away from the Iowa State Fairgrounds, a billboard advertisement stating “Ashley Hinson got up to 10x richer in Congress” and saying the Republican made “up to $7.5 million while in Congress” will appear and be seen by “thousands of Iowans leaving the fair” for the 10-day state fair, according to a news release. The numbers used in the ad refer to analysis of federal financial disclosures of Hinson’s finances between 2021 and 2026 published by the progressive news organization Heartland Signal.
The ad, paid for by the Iowa Democratic Party and authorized by Turek’s campaign, will be on East University Avenue between East 27th and East 28th streets, according to the party.
IDP spokesperson Drew Myers said the ad campaign is a way to ensure Iowans heading to the State Fair know how the Republican candidate’s personal finances differ from an average Iowa family, and how her policies would raise costs.
Democrats have criticized Hinson’s vote to pass the “One, Big Beautiful Bill” Act, for not supporting extending premium subsidies under the Affordable Care Act as well as her decisions not to oppose President Donald Trump’s tariff policies or the war in Iran as positions that have driven up costs for Iowans, especially for healthcare and gas.
Hinson has not directly responded to statements about her personal finances, but has defended her position on measures like the 2025 tax and spending law, saying that the measure helped working families by repealing taxes on tips and overtime. Billy Fuerst, a campaign spokesperson for Hinson’s campaign, said in a July statement Turek “will only make life more expensive for Iowa families by voting with Chuck Schumer and the Radical Left in D.C.”
