Republican Hinson ousts Democratic Rep. Finkenauer in Iowa

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (AP) — Republican state Rep. Ashley Hinson defeated Democratic incumbent Abby Finkenauer to win a northeastern Iowa congressional seat.

Hinson, a former television news anchor, won the House seat Tuesday after an election in which she stressed the need for lower taxes, smaller government and border security. Hinson had been endorsed by President Donald Trump in the Republican primary and since the beginning of her campaign enjoyed broad support among state and national Republicans.

Finkenauer lost in her first bid for reelection following her victory in 2018 over Republican Rod Blum. During her freshman term, Finkenauer devoted much of her time to ensuring disaster relief to her district after a damaging wind storm this year. She also supported legislation designed to help small businesses, aid governments amid the coronavirus pandemic and expand the Affordable Care Act.

Finkenauer was 29 when elected in 2018, making her the second-youngest woman ever elected to the House.

The 1st Congressional District covers 20 counties and the cities of Cedar Rapids, Dubuque and Waterloo.

Hinson, 37, had a conservative voting record in the state Legislature, where she represented a House district in suburban Cedar Rapids.

She supported a law deemed unconstitutional that would have banned abortions after six weeks, a law requiring a 24-hour waiting period for women seeking an abortion and another that denied funding to Planned Parenthood. Hinson also supported restrictions on felon voting and expansion of gun rights.