Hinson missed key House votes while fundraising for Senate campaign

Iowa Rep. Ashley Hinson missed pivotal House votes because she was busy fundraising for her U.S. Senate campaign.

On June 24, the House Appropriations Committee voted on 11 amendments to the 2027 Defense Appropriations bill, which will fund the Pentagon and related defense programs in the next fiscal year. Hinson, who sits on the committee, missed seven of the votes.

An email from Grand Valley Consulting, which advises Republican candidates, indicates that Hinson had a fundraising lunch with West Virginia Sen. Shelly Moore Capito scheduled for the same day. Tickets for the event ranged from $1,000 to $2,500.

The progressive media company MidasTouch posted a video online of Hinson walking into the event while voting was in progress.

Hinson missed votes covering a range of national security topics, including how the Defense Department spends money, the proposed drawdown of American troops stationed in Europe, and changes to which military officers are eligible for promotions.

Hinson has already come under fire for prioritizing her Senate campaign over her duties as a congressperson. She has not held a single town hall event with constituents this year but has held several events promoting her campaign.

Hinson is competing to replace retiring Republican Sen. Joni Ernst. She will face Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek in the general election.

A New York Times/Siena University poll from last month showed Hinson with a narrow, 2-point lead over Turek.