Vance So Toxic GOP Candidate Wouldn't Campaign With Him In Iowa

This was an awkward moment, even for Vance.
By Oliver Willis — September 19, 2026

Vice President JD Vance had an awkward moment on the campaign trail in Iowa on Friday after he had to acknowledge that the state’s Republican candidate for the Senate had skipped the rally being held to help her win the election.

“Shoutout to an amazing public servant, I know she couldn’t be here today, but are we going to elect Ashley Hinson the next United States senator for the great state of Iowa?” Vance asked the crowd.

It was an awkward moment, even for Vance.

Rep. Ashley Hinson is running to fill the seat being vacated by Sen. Joni Ernst. But what should be a slam dunk for Republicans has turned into an increasingly close race. Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, the Democrat, has been gaining ground in recent weeks as voters turn away from candidates like Hinson, who are close to the Trump administration.

Iowa has been strong Republican territory in recent years, with Trump defeating former Vice President Kamala Harris there in 2024 by 13 points and defeating former President Joe Biden there by 9 points, even though Biden won the election.

But thanks to policies like the Iran war and tariffs, which are hurting Iowa’s vital farming sector, Hinson is now struggling toward the finish line. The Republican was featured in a New York Times profile published the same day as Vance’s shoutout, noting her efforts to stand apart from the party.

The Times piece noted that Hinson skipped Trump’s poorly rated midterm convention in Texas last week and that she recently released a deceptive ad touting her purported “bipartisan” credentials.

But Hinson is no moderate. She has been a full-blooded MAGA loyalist, who voted for the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” and its provisions to strip healthcare from Iowa residents, and has even voted to preserve Trump’s tariffs.

Vance being at a rally for a candidate that wouldn’t be seen with him was an awkward moment from Vance highlighting the very real notion that he is the second banana in a toxic ticket that is electoral kryptonite for Republican candidates, even in safe territory like Iowa. Vance instead had another cringeworthy moment in a political career packed to the gills with them.

Posted with permission from Daily Kos.

Can you help us out?

For over 22 years we have been exposing Washington lies and untangling media deceit, but social media is limiting our ability to attract new readers. Please give a one-time or recurring donation, or buy a year's subscription for an ad-free experience. Thank you.

Become a subscriber:
 
Make a donation:

If you don't mind the ads and would rather donate, please select one of the options below:

Kindest
Donate via PayPal
Via Snail Mail
payable to: Crooksandliars
2708 Wilshire Blvd. #148
Santa Monica, CA 90403

Explore more

Discussion

We welcome relevant, respectful comments. Any comments that are sexist or in any other way deemed hateful by our staff will be deleted and constitute grounds for a ban from posting on the site. Please refer to our Terms of Service for information on our posting policy.
Mastodon