Rep. Ashley Hinson’s Voting Record Under Scrutiny Amid Senate Campaign
Iowa Representative Ashley Hinson, currently a Republican contender for the U.S. Senate, has been noted for missing nearly 200 votes in Congress. Among these were key decisions, including a vote addressing AI-generated child pornography, as she faces off against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in an intense election battle.
Records from Congress reveal that since her tenure began in 2021, Hinson has been absent for 163 committee votes and 33 votes on the House floor. While some absences coincide with periods when she contracted COVID-19 in January 2022 and April 2026, many remain without explanation.
Hinson’s missed votes are notably concentrated in the House Appropriations Committee, a panel responsible for deciding the allocation of federal funds across various government initiatives. In May 2025, she was absent for a critical vote that proposed increasing resources for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The committee’s manager highlighted the need for more funding due to the surge in AI-generated child pornography and the resulting burden on law enforcement agencies.
The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children reported receiving over a million reports in 2025 concerning sexually explicit AI images involving minors, with many of these images using actual children as models.
In addition to missing votes on child protection, Hinson was also absent for several votes related to reducing violent crime. In September 2025, she did not attend three committee votes that were crucial for increasing funds to enforce the Violence Against Women Act, providing transitional housing grants for domestic abuse victims, and supporting a community-based violence intervention initiative.
Reports by Iowa Public Radio indicated a rise in domestic violence fatalities in Iowa between 2021 and 2024, underscoring the importance of these legislative measures.
Further absences include a vote concerning funding for the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force and several health care-related votes, such as a 2023 vote addressing doctor shortages in the Veterans Affairs system, a 2025 vote to bolster nutrition programs for seniors, and funding for training physicians in rural areas.
This year, Hinson also missed a significant vote on an amendment regarding data center transparency. This amendment would enforce public disclosure of construction plans for data centers and require the Energy Department to assess the impact of these centers on utility bills.
With 116 data centers currently in Iowa, some local communities have imposed moratoriums to halt further construction. Hinson expressed to KGAN News that decisions regarding data center regulations should be made locally.
Recently, it was noted that Hinson was absent for 11 amendments to the 2027 Defense Appropriations bill due to attending a fundraiser for her Senate campaign. Typically, House members miss about 2% to 3% of roll-call votes annually, but committee votes are often excluded from official attendance records, potentially inflating Hinson’s attendance metrics.
As the election approaches, a recent Emerson College poll reveals Hinson holds a narrow lead over Turek by three percentage points.
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