Iowa Dems square off to flip Ernst seat amid talk of Schumer ties and dark money

In Des Moines, two Democrats vying to flip Iowa’s Senate seat clash over big-money politics: Zach Wahls accuses rival Josh Turek of being linked to Chuck Schumer via outside groups like VoteVets, which is backing Turek with substantial ad spending. Turek counters with a focus on electability in a Republican-leaning state and a populist agenda. National Republicans are pouring money into the general election (Ashley Hinson) and observers worry a costly primary could hurt the eventual Democrat nominee. Through early 2026, Wahls has raised about $2 million with roughly $733k on hand, while Turek has about $1.7 million raised and just under $400k on hand.