A Democrat Senate hopeful viewed as critical to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer’s bid to retake Senate control is drawing criticism over his attendance record.Rep.Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, the Republican Senate nominee, blasted her Democratic opponent, state Rep.
Josh Turek, D-Iowa, for missing 58% of House votes during the 2026 session while receiving tens of thousands of dollars in taxpayer benefits given to state legislators.The absences, Hinson argues, are a black mark on Turek, a two-time Paralympic gold medalist, who is seeking to flip the Republican-held seat in November’s midterm elections."The truth is out.He's an absentee legislator," Hinson told Fox News Digital in a recent interview.
"He accepted more than $20,000 in per diem benefits, but hardly showed up."Republican candidate for Senate U.S.Rep.
Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is interviewed after voting at Linn-Mar Educational Leadership Center in Marion, Iowa, on June 2, 2026.(Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)TRUMP-ENDORSED HINSON SECURES IOWA SENATE NOMINATION AS DEMOCRATS EYE GOP SEATHinson’s comments came after Fox News Digital previously reported that Turek missed 261 of the chamber’s votes between Jan.
12 and May 3, amounting to a nearly 60% absence rate.Turek, who has served in the Iowa legislature since 2023, spent much of that period locked in a contentious Democratic primary against a progressive backed by Sen.Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.Under Iowa state law, legislators receive a tax-free per diem of $201 for each day the legislature is in session.
The per diem was paid for 100 legislative days this year, meaning Turek collected $20,100."He was skipping votes to attend ritzy fundraisers," Hinson said, referring to a report in The Washington Free Beacon that found Turek missed a vote in May on an appropriations bill providing funding for veterans’ assistance while attending a fundraiser hosted by the nonprofit side of the Schumer-aligned group, VoteVets."He was skipping votes to support far...