Tipsheet

Inside the Democrats' Crowded, Messy, Race to the Left in Iowa Senate Primary

Amy Curtis
Amy Curtis  |  January 27, 2026 2:20 PM

President Trump is in Iowa today to tout his economic policies and throw his support behind Republican Ashley Hinson's bid for the Iowa Senate seat. Hinson is a battle-tested conservative and currently a Congressional Rep in IA-02, with a proven track record of fighting for the things that are important to Iowans: farmers, expanding access to childcare, and creating opportunities for Iowans. She's earned the support of President Trump, Senate Majority Leader Thune and the Senate Leadership Fund, as well as the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) Chairman Scott, retiring Senator Joni Ernst, and Republicans both in Iowa and across the country.

The Iowa Democratic Party, on the other hand, is facing a messy primary with a crowded field that's increasingly moving towards the radical Left. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer has failed to clear the field and control the primaries, resulting in crowded primaries and Democratic candidates trying hard to be the most progressive in the race.

In Iowa, three such Democrats are fighting to face Hinson in the general election: Josh Turek, Zach Wahls, and Nathan Sage. So who are these candidates? And what do they want to do to the red state of Iowa?

Zach Wahls is an outspoken LGBTQ advocate and a Zohran Mamdani wannabe whom the progressives love. A child of two lesbians, Wahls says he's a self-identified "straight cisgender man" and "queer-spawn," who is part of the LGBT community, and that he was "born into this movement." His job history is almost nonexistent, and he hadn't finished his classes at Princeton when he dropped out to run for the Iowa Senate in 2017. When it came to voting, Wahls put his pro-LGBTQ agenda first, calling legislation to protect girls' sports "appalling" and claiming that there is "blood on the hands of Iowa Republicans" who supported a bill banning "gender-affirming surgeries" for children.

Wahls would also bring a Mamdani agenda to Iowa and America, with his support of socialized childcare, free community college, and Medicare for All. He voted against a bill that would withhold funding from cities and counties that decreased law enforcement funding. Wahls said the “extrajudicial killing of black people by white people is not a ‘black problem’ — it is a white problem," and he's am ember of the Unitarian Universalist Association, a church that supports defunding and abolishing police, and abolishing ICE. He's also implied that Israel was committing a genocide in Gaza. 

Wahls was endorsed by Council Bluffs Mayor-elect Jill Shudak over Josh Turek, despite the fact that Turek represents Council Bluffs in the Iowa Legislature.

While Wahls is the Mamdani candidate in this race, Josh Turek is Chuck Schumer's choice for the Senate and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC). In fact, the DSCC has warned consultants against working with Wahls and Sage in the race, and even threatened to cut vendors out of contracts. 

Turek voted against a bill to ban the misbranding of lab-grown and plant based meat alternatives and against legislation and he voted against an $88.6M increase in funding to the IA Department of Human Services and Veterans Affairs, including 70 additional waiver slots for Iowans with disabilities seeking long-term services.

Nathan Sage has been vocal about his opposition to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, calling for his ouster as leader. Sage has also held events with Jasmine Crockett, and Crockett calls Sage "one of us." Sage is also a proponent of radically Leftist policies including defending Ian Roberts, the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools who was arrested by ICE and has a lengthy criminal history.

Sage called Roberts' arrest "unacceptable" and claimed Roberts was "swept away without cause." Like Wahls, he's a proponent of the LGBTQ community and agenda, saying he "absolutely" is an advocate for the LGBTQ community and trans rights. Sage also wants to codify Roe v. Wade, attended "No Kings" rallies, and called President Trump's deployment of Marines to keep the peace in Los Angeles last summer "f***ing insane." Sage has also attacked Hinson as "voting for tax cuts for "billionaires and corporate donors."

Despite all the chaos, Wahls is the current frontrunner in the primary, with 24.7 percent of the vote. Turek has 17.6 percent, and Sage just seven percent. They all trail Hinson on the generic ballot, too, with Wahls lagging by one percent, and Turek and Sage lagging by four percent each.

In the last decade, Republican voter registration in Iowa has surged 38.6 percent, while Democrats fell to 28.6 percent. In 2024, President Trump won the state by 13.2 points — the largest GOP margin since 1972. Republicans have held all four House seats in Iowa since 2022, and Republicans have had full control of the state government for the past eight years.

The contrast could not be clearer. While Democrats run a chaotic, brutal primary, Ashley Hinson has a solid record and the backing of Republicans who share the values Iowans hold dear.

“While Democrats like Zach Wahls compete to appease the most radical wing of their base, Ashley Hinson is working with President Trump to deliver real solutions to the problems facing Iowans today," said NRSC Regional Press Secretary Samantha Cantrell.