Select what genuinely interests you. Your picks feed directly into our editorial planning. NBC News, based on AP data, projects Josh Turek as the winner of the Iowa Senate race against Ashley Hinson. At 07:38 CET the count stood at 50.4 to 46.5 percent with 97.2 percent counted. It is the first Democratic Senate win in Iowa since 2008. The seat is open because Republican Joni Ernst is not seeking a third term. Josh Turek, a Democratic state representative, ran against Ashley Hinson, a Republican US representative endorsed by President Donald Trump. Iowa also elected a governor, and it is the first time since 1968 that an open Senate seat and an open governor's office were on the ballot together.