On the heels of reports that parts of her policy statements and an opinion page essay were plagiarized content from news organizations and her opponent’s website, a Democratic campaign organization is calling on state Rep. Ashely Hinson to tell Iowans where she stands on issues.
Hinson, a Marion Republican, is challenging Democratic U.S. Rep. Abby Finkenauer in Iowa’s 1st Congressional District.
The plagiarism by a consulting firm her campaign contracted with, which Hinson apologized for last week, “raises serious questions about what Hinson actually believes,” the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee says in an ad it’s launching Thursday on YouTube.
Asked what she would tell voters who believe her opinion piece should be written by her, Hinson said “voters deserve to know where I stand.”
The DCCC agreed, saying, “It’s time to tell Iowans where you stand on the issues, Ashley.”
The DCCC, which is backing Finkenauer, says Hinson has “consistently dodged” questions about top issues for voters in the district, which includes Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls and Dubuque.
That includes whether she supports a Republican legal challenge to the Affordable Care Act and whether Medicare should be able to negotiate prescription drug prices.
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In an interview Wednesday on KDTH in Dubuque, a caller asked Hinson about the lawsuit. Hinson didn’t say whether she supported it. Instead, Hinson told the caller she wants to take the input she has received from 1st District voters “and focus on targeted fixes to bills, to the laws we have in place so we can make the system work better for everyone.”
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