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Trump’s agenda front and center at Ashley Hinson rally in Cedar Rapids
Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District representative launched her re-election campaign Saturday
Aug. 23, 2025 5:57 pm, Updated: Aug. 25, 2025 9:10 am
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CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa Republican U.S. Rep. Ashley Hinson drew a crowd of a couple hundred party faithful Saturday at Hawkeye Downs Speedway & Expo Center in Cedar Rapids as she launched her re-election push with help from GOP leaders, conservative commentators and a neighboring U.S. senator, who cast her as a key fighter in Congress and a reliable ally of President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Hinson, a former TV news anchor and state lawmaker, was first elected to northeast Iowa’s U.S. House seat in 2020, ousting then-Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer. She won re-election in 2022 and 2024 and is serving in her third term.
Iowa’s 22-county 2nd Congressional District includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Dubuque and Mason City.
Hinson, 42, of Marion, was the focus of praise by speakers who said she embodies the party’s “fighter” mentality.
“Ashley Hinson is a fighter for all of you in Washington, D.C. She was one of those folks leading the charge to make sure we got President Trump’s agenda done,” Republican U.S. Sen. Eric Schmitt, of Missouri, told the Cedar Rapids crowd.
Schmitt pointed to Hinson’s support for what Trump dubbed the “one big beautiful bill,” legislation Republicans tout as securing the border, cutting taxes and eliminating government programs they criticize as wasteful.
He said Hinson helped block what he called “the biggest tax increase in American history” and backed funding to “finish the wall” along the southern border.
The legislation permanently extends lower income tax rates and other key provisions of the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, boosts funding for border security and immigration enforcement, and reduces federal Medicaid spending by an estimated $911 billion over 10 years — among many other budget and policy items.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office also estimates the law will add $3.4 trillion to the nation’s debt over the next decade, and 10 million more people will go without health coverage by 2034.
Four Democrats are running for their party’s nomination to challenge Hinson for the northeast Iowa U.S. House seat. They include state Rep. Lindsay James, a Democrat from Dubuque; Clint Twedt-Ball, a longtime Cedar Rapids nonprofit leader; Kathy Dolter, a U.S. Army veteran and former dean of nursing at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids; and former Pine Lake State Park manager Don Primus, of Steamboat Rock.
Speakers repeatedly tied Hinson’s campaign to Trump’s platform and political comeback, describing the president’s policies as vital for both Iowa and the nation.
Jennings: Democrats ‘root against America’
Scott Jennings, a Kentucky-based conservative commentator and GOP strategist who appears frequently on CNN, mixed humor with sharp attacks on Democrats in his speech.
“Being a conservative at CNN is like being the designated driver at a craft beer festival,” Jennings joked. “Nobody really wants you there, but deep down they know I’m the only one who can get them home safely.”
Turning serious, Jennings praised Hinson’s “courage to run and fight for what we believe in” and accused Democrats of prioritizing “illegal aliens, violent criminals and pro-Hamas protesters” over everyday Americans.
“The main difference between the parties is that we can tell the difference between right and wrong, and common sense versus uncommon nonsense,” Jennings said. “One party roots for America, and one party right now, I’m sorry to say, roots against it.”
Jennings drew laughs with his sharp barbs at Democrats, but returned repeatedly to Hinson’s role in advancing Trump’s “America First” policies.
Framing the stakes
Iowa Republican Party Chair Jeff Kaufmann told the crowd Hinson embodies core GOP values and stands firmly against Democratic policies.
“This is a great day to be a Republican,” Kaufmann said. “We need fighters like Ashley Hinson on the front lines. She represents Iowa values and she fights to keep America strong.”
Kaufmann said Iowa’s small four-member congressional delegation had an “outsized voice” in Washington, pointing to Hinson as a key part of a team that includes Iowa GOP U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst.
Kaufmann, who also introduced a slate of other Republican candidates and officeholders at the rally, said Hinson’s re-election is part of a broader effort to secure Iowa and national Republican gains in 2026.
Hinson, who briefly addressed the crowd, leaned into the message of Iowa’s congressional delegation as “small but mighty.” With only four U.S. House members and two senators, she said, Iowa Republicans punch above their weight in Washington.
She doubled down on her support for recent Trump-backed legislative achievements during her appearances, casting them as direct benefits for Iowa families, saying she was “proud” to have voted for the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” highlighting its aims to extend Trump-era tax cuts, introduce new tax deductions for tips and overtime, and bolster border security.
“America First movement is no longer a rallying cry. It is a governing agenda, and boy, have we been busy these last eight months since President Trump came into office,” Hinson said. “I have been so proud to fight alongside the president, delivering all of these real, meaningful results for Iowans and for our country.”
Eyes on November 2026
The rally, which drew a mix of grassroots activists, elected officials and candidates for other offices, underscored how central Trump remains to Republican campaigning in Iowa.
Schmitt called Trump’s 2024 comeback “the greatest political comeback in American history” and said Hinson’s race could be pivotal in determining the balance of power in Congress.
“They would pack the Supreme Court, they would federalize elections, they would make the Green New Deal permanent,” Schmitt said of Democrats. “That’s why you absolutely have to have fighters like Ashley Hinson on the front lines.”
As the speeches wound down, attendees were reminded of the stakes for 2026 and beyond.
“We need to send Ashley back to Washington with such a strong mandate from Iowa that it just cannot be ignored,” Iowa Secretary Agriculture Mike Naig said.
Hinson thanked supporters for turning out and framed her campaign around service to Iowa families. She pointed to her work on the House Appropriations Committee, where she said she has focused on reining in federal spending while directing resources to Iowa priorities.
Hinson also highlighted her advocacy for law enforcement, veterans and farmers, saying she has pushed to secure funding for rural infrastructure and flood protection projects.
Much of the rally’s messaging tied Hinson’s race to Trump’s political comeback and Republican hopes of expanding their House majority.
Hinson echoed that theme, telling voters her race was about the nation’s future.
“I'm going to fight alongside President Trump to again, continue to secure the border, deport illegal aliens and end the con of birthright citizenship,” she told supporters. “I think we need to end that federal spending and federal waste, because it's your money, not the government's money. We're going to defend lives and ensure that all mothers have access to the care they need. We're going to continue to protect the Second Amendment, and we're going to make sure that Washington, D.C., runs a whole lot more like the great state of Iowa.
“ … If you care about secure borders and you care about strong families, we need you to be alongside us in this fight. If you care about stopping inflation, protecting freedom and getting the government out of your way, we need you to stay in this fight. And if you care about leaving a better country for the next generation, we need you in this fight.”
Dan Hess, 66, of Cedar Rapids, is a longtime supporter of Hinson. Hess said he believes she is the right candidate to continue advancing conservative priorities as the 2026 midterm elections approach.
Hess said he has backed Hinson since her time in the Iowa Legislature and credits her with working to rein in government spending and address national security threats. He cited her role on the House committee focused on China, which he views as one of the most pressing issues facing the country.
Hess rejected criticisms that Trump is authoritarian, and voiced support for Trump’s recent immigration crackdown and his decision to deploy National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to help address crime.
Progressive grassroots political group protests outside fundraiser
A small group of about 20 demonstrators with the 50501 Iowa Movement, a progressive grassroots political group formed to oppose the policies and actions of the second Donald Trump Administration, protested outside the event.
Louwanna Morris, 80, of Cedar Rapids, argued that policies under Trump and his allies in Congress risk eroding voting rights and expanding executive power.
“Ashley Hinson is killing democracy by letting Trump do anything and everything he wants,” Morris said.
Another demonstrator, Kristie Steepleton, a 64-year-old para-educator from Cedar Rapids, expressed particular concern about health care programs. She pointed to children in special education who rely on Medicaid and said proposed cuts could leave vulnerable families without needed support.
Both women linked their opposition to broader worries about the 2026 election, saying they want to rally others to push back against Trump-aligned Republicans.
“What we are trying to do is get other people to wake up and start doing something about this,” Morris said.
Iowa Democratic Party Chair Rita Hart, in a statement, cast Hinson as out of touch, with Iowa ranked 49th in the nation in economic development, 48th in personal income growth, and with one of the fastest-growing cancer rates in the nation.
“Ashley Hinson has totally lost touch with Iowa if she thinks our state is going in the right direction,” Hart said. “ … I don't know what kind of dream world Hinson is living in, but we must do better than this. Iowa Democrats are ready to bring in new leaders who have fresh ideas to change direction and ensure a brighter and more prosperous future for all Iowans.”
Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Katie Smith said Hinson has elevated the concerns of special interests over those of everyday Iowans.
“She prioritizes tax cuts for her billionaire donors and special interest friends while making life more expensive for regular Iowans, backing reckless tariffs that are raising costs on families and hurting Iowa businesses, and refusing to do anything to stand up to corrupt Washington business-as-usual,” Smith said in a statement. “Hinson will be forced to defend her record of putting special interests before Iowans and it’s why she’ll lose next year.”
Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com
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