Katie Britt of Alabama joined Republican Senate candidate Ashley Hinson in Des Moines on Tuesday for a discussion highlighting how their experiences as mothers shape their approach to public policy. Britt, 44, described Hinson, 43, as a potential future youngest woman in the Senate; both lawmakers have two school-aged children.
The event focused on child-care affordability, contraception access and safeguards for children using technology. Hinson has also made household costs a central theme of her campaign, drawing on her experience as a mother who has paid for child care, filled a family vehicle with gas and shopped for groceries for two teenage sons.
Hinson entered the Senate race after Republican Sen. Joni Ernst announced she would not seek another term. Hinson won the Republican nomination in June, while Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek won his party’s nomination, setting up a contest for a seat Republicans view as important to maintaining their narrow Senate majority.
Hinson has previously pressed Congress to expand access to affordable child care and has said she supports working across party lines on issues affecting Iowa families. Her campaign has also emphasized health care costs, energy prices, veterans’ services and restrictions on congressional stock trading.
The race is competitive as early voting proceeds. A poll of Iowa likely voters conducted Oct. 8-11 put Turek at 48% and Hinson at 45%, within the survey’s 6. 6-point margin of error. The same survey found that 59% of likely voters nevertheless expected Hinson to win, underscoring the gap between the current vote preference and perceptions of the Republican nominee’s position.
The Des Moines appearance gave Hinson a high-profile Republican ally while keeping her family and child-care message at the center of the campaign. Election Day is Nov. 3, and President Donald Trump is scheduled to campaign for Hinson in Iowa before voting concludes.