Republican Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek meet Wednesday night for a televised Iowa Senate debate as one of the country’s closest Senate races enters its final month.
The debate will be hosted by Iowa PBS at its studios in Johnston and moderated by Iowa Press host Kay Henderson. Hinson and Turek are expected to face questions from Iowa political reporters about the economy, agriculture, health care, federal spending and other issues shaping the race.
Iowa U.S. Senate Debate
Date: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026
Candidates: Ashley Hinson (R) and Josh Turek (D)
Time: 7 p.m. CT / 8 p.m. ET
Location: Iowa PBS Studios, Johnston, Iowa
Moderator: Kay Henderson, Iowa Press
Audience: No live studio audience
Official Debate Page: Iowa PBS
Live Stream: Watch Below
Watch Live – Iowa Senate Debate
The Iowa Senate debate between Ashley Hinson and Josh Turek begins at 8 p.m. ET (7 p.m. CT). Watch the full debate live below.
Alternate Stream Link: Iowa PBS
The debate comes with the race essentially tied in public polling. The current RealClearPolling average has Turek at 46.0% and Hinson at 45.3%, a difference of less than one percentage point. Recent surveys have moved in both directions, including a New York Times/Siena poll showing Hinson ahead by one point and Fox News showing Turek ahead by two. RealClearPolling currently lists the race as a toss-up.
Iowa’s Senate contest has drawn unusual attention because of how much the political environment has shifted in a state Donald Trump carried comfortably in 2024. Hinson entered the race as the Republican nominee after serving in the U.S. House, while Turek emerged from the Democratic primary and has since remained competitive in a long series of statewide polls.
Wednesday night’s debate is the first of two televised meetings currently scheduled between the candidates. A second debate hosted by Nexstar is scheduled for Oct. 13. Both campaigns agreed earlier this year to participate in the two events.
The Iowa PBS debate will be held without a live audience, leaving the candidates to spend the hour responding directly to questions from the moderator and Iowa political reporters.
Watch the Iowa Senate debate live in the player above beginning at 8 p.m. ET.
Follow the latest numbers on our 2026 Senate polls page and visit our 2026 Senate elections guide for more races around the country.