Cruz Backs Hinson in Council Bluffs as Iowa Senate Race Narrows

Texas Sen. Ted Cruz joined Iowa Sen. Ashley Hinson in Council Bluffs on Thursday, marking a key moment in the final stretch of the state's U.S. Senate race.

The two Republicans addressed a crowd at a local bowling alley where attendees chanted "Fight for Iowa." Cruz has spent the last two weeks campaigning across Alaska, Georgia, the Carolinas, and Michigan. He described the upcoming election as the most consequential midterm of his lifetime, noting that the Iowa seat is right in the balance.

Hinson, the Republican incumbent, is competing against Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek. Both candidates are making their final appeals to voters in the days leading up to Election Day. Hinson stated that the cancellation of a planned Donald Trump rally in Dubuque on Thursday evening will not alter her strategy for the closing days. She said she plans to earn every single vote over the next four or five days to secure the seat.

Hinson cited her personal life as a primary motivation for her run. She identified as a mother to two teenage boys, ages 15 and 13, and said the race hits close to home because of them. "So the reason why I'm stepping into this arena, getting into this fight, is because of my children," she said.

Cruz, who won the Iowa caucuses in 2016, deflected questions about a potential 2028 presidential run during his visit. "Listen, there will be plenty of time to talk about 2028 after the midterms. I am all in on the midterms," Cruz said. He praised Hinson as an incredibly strong candidate and called her a rock star among the candidates he has supported nationwide.

Voters in Iowa will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3. Polls in the state open at 7 a.m. and close at 9 p.m. local time. The outcome of this race will determine control of the U.S. Senate seat in Iowa for the next two years.