Iowa U.S. Senate candidate Ashley Hinson took a brief break from the Iowa State Fair for a campaign stop in Sioux Center, where supporters highlighted her record on agriculture and rural issues before Hinson addressed questions ranging from a proposed Sioux County data center to health care.
The stop was held outside the Centre Mall and featured several speakers supporting Hinson’s Senate bid, including Rock Valley Mayor Kevin Van Otterloo and fifth-generation farmer Craig Moss of the Hull area.
Hinson, who currently serves in the U.S. House, said she had spent much of the previous several days at the Iowa State Fair, including visits with cattle and pork producers, before making the trip to northwest Iowa.
Van Otterloo, Moss, and Hinson deliver remarks during Sioux Center stop / Photos: SCR
Van Otterloo Points to Rock Valley Flood Recovery
Van Otterloo used Rock Valley’s experience during the devastating 2024 flooding to describe what he sees as defining characteristics of northwest Iowa.
“The devastating floods of 2024 most recently tested our resolve. But just as we have done, and after every disaster, we rolled up our sleeves and got to work on the road to recovery. This is how we operate in northwest Iowa. Nobody is a stranger. Neighbors help neighbors. Folks lend a hand where they can, and we all move forward together.”
Van Otterloo said he believes those same values should be reflected by Iowa’s representatives in Washington. He said Hinson understands rural communities and pointed to her work involving agriculture, rural hospitals and veterans as reasons for his support.
Moss approached the campaign from the perspective of keeping his family farm operating for another generation. Moss said his family raises cattle, finishes hogs and grows corn and soybeans outside Hull, while his two sons represent the sixth generation on the farm.
Moss specifically cited tax policy as one reason he is supporting Hinson.
“Those tax cuts ensure that we don’t have to pay an even higher death tax just to pass the farm on to the next generation.”
Agriculture was a major theme throughout the stop. Hinson pointed to her support for year-round E15, the Farm Bill passed by the House, and provisions she sponsored dealing with precision agriculture and input costs.
“I have stood up to my own party to get ag policies that support our state across the finish line, including year round, E15 and helping to get that farm bill passed through the House with provisions that I sponsored to help our farmers purchase precision agriculture technology and lower their input costs.”
Hinson and several of the speakers also repeatedly contrasted her record with that of Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Josh Turek, criticizing his voting attendance and positions on agriculture and taxes. Those comments were made as part of the campaign event and were not independently addressed by Turek at the stop. Hinson and Turek square off in a November battle to replace retiring Iowa U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Red Oak).
Hinson Says Data Center Decisions Should Remain Local
Following the prepared speeches, Hinson held a brief question-and-answer time with local media. She first was asked specifically about the ongoing data-center discussion in Sioux County and whether the federal government should play a role in protecting farmland from such developments.
Hinson, who represents Iowa’s second congressional district, said she believes those decisions belong primarily with local communities.
“Well, I think you hit the nail on the head. There’s a local conversation happening about that. And I think these decisions are best made at the local level.”
Hinson said the major concerns she has heard surrounding data centers include water consumption and energy use. She pointed to closed-loop cooling systems as one potential way to reduce water concerns and said residents should not be forced to shoulder increased electricity costs because of a data-center development.
Hinson ultimately said she supports local control over those decisions.
Rural Health Care Also Discussed
Hinson was also asked about health care, with the question noting that northwest Iowa has relatively strong health-care access compared with challenges facing some other portions of the state.
Hinson said affordability and access remain statewide concerns.
“We need to do more to make sure people have access to health care, no matter what their zip code is, and to make sure that it’s affordable.”
Hinson pointed to federal rural-health funding and said she also wants greater transparency from insurance and pharmaceutical companies. She highlighted legislation she has worked on that would require insurers to disclose information including claim denials, overturned appeals and prior-authorization procedures.
The Sioux Center appearance amounted to a short northwest Iowa detour from Hinson’s State Fair schedule, with Hinson expected to be back at the fair today (Friday).
And before leaving the Centre Mall, the campaign stop ended on a sweeter note: Hinson and the group headed inside for a treat from Casey’s Bakery.
