Ashley Hinson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Ashley Hinson
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| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Iowa |
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| Assumed office January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Abby Finkenauer |
| Constituency | 1st district (2021–2023) 2nd district (2023–present) |
| Member of the Iowa House of Representatives from the 67th district |
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| In office January 9, 2017 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Preceded by | Kraig Paulsen |
| Succeeded by | Eric Gjerde |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson
June 27, 1983 Des Moines, Iowa, U.S. |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse |
Matthew Arenholz
(m. 2008) |
| Children | 2 |
| Education | University of Southern California (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Ashley Elizabeth Hinson (born June 27, 1983) is an American politician and former journalist. She currently serves as a U.S. Representative for Iowa. This means she is one of the people chosen by voters to represent them in the U.S. Congress in Washington, D.C.
Since 2021, she has represented a part of Iowa. This area was called the 1st district at first. Now it is the 2nd district. It covers much of northeastern Iowa. Important cities in her district include Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque.
Ashley Hinson is a member of the Republican Party. Before joining the U.S. House, she was a state representative in the Iowa House of Representatives. She served for the 67th district from 2017 to 2021. She was the first woman to represent that district. In 2020, she won her election to the U.S. House. She beat the person who held the seat before her, Abby Finkenauer. Ashley Hinson and Mariannette Miller-Meeks were the first Republican women to represent Iowa in the U.S. House.
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Early Life and Education
Ashley Hinson grew up in Des Moines, Iowa. She went to Valley High School in West Des Moines. After high school, she studied at the University of Southern California. There, she learned about broadcast journalism. This is a type of journalism where people report news on TV or radio. She was also part of a sorority called Pi Beta Phi.
Before becoming a politician, Hinson worked as a news anchor. She reported the news for a TV station called KCRG-TV.
Serving in the Iowa House
Becoming a State Representative
In 2016, Ashley Hinson decided to run for a seat in the Iowa House of Representatives. She ran for the 67th House District. This district is located in Linn County, Iowa. She won her election against Mark Seidl. She received 62.5% of the votes, while he received 37.5%.
This area around Cedar Rapids is known for having close elections. In 2016, for example, the Democratic presidential candidate won this district by a small amount.
In 2018, Hinson ran for re-election. She had a close race against a teacher named Eric Gjerde. She won again, with 52% of the votes.
What She Did in Iowa
In the Iowa House, Ashley Hinson worked on several important groups called committees. Committees are small groups of lawmakers who study specific topics. She served on the Judiciary committee, which deals with laws and justice. She also served on the Public Safety committee, which focuses on keeping people safe.
Hinson also worked on the Transportation committee. This committee handles issues related to roads, bridges, and travel. She even led this committee as its chairperson. She also helped decide how money would be spent on transportation and buildings.
Serving in the U.S. House
Winning a Seat in Congress
2020 Election
On May 13, 2019, Ashley Hinson announced she would run for the U.S. House of Representatives. She ran against the person who held the seat at the time, Abby Finkenauer. This was for Iowa's 1st congressional district. This district includes 20 counties in northeastern Iowa.
Many people thought Hinson had a good chance to win. The Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds and Lieutenant Governor Adam Gregg supported her. On June 2, 2020, Hinson won the Republican primary election. This meant she would be the Republican candidate in the main election.
During her campaign, Hinson talked about lowering taxes and improving roads and other important structures. She won the election against Abby Finkenauer in November.
2022 Election
In 2021, the boundaries of congressional districts in Iowa changed. This process is called redistricting. Because of this, most of Hinson's area became part of the 2nd district. Her home in Marion was now in the 2nd district. So, she decided to run for re-election in the 2nd district. She won her election against Democratic state Senator Liz Mathis.
Her Work in Congress
As a U.S. Representative, Ashley Hinson has voted on many important laws.
- In 2021, she voted against the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. This law provided money to help people and businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.
- In 2022, Hinson was one of 47 Republican Representatives who voted for the Respect for Marriage Act. This law protects the right for same-sex couples to marry across the country.
- Also in 2022, she voted for a law that would make it harder for very large companies to act unfairly against smaller businesses. This is called an antitrust package.
Infrastructure
In 2021, Hinson voted against the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. This law aimed to improve roads, bridges, and other important public systems across the country.
Social Security
In 2020, Hinson said she was open to the idea of changing the retirement age for Social Security. Social Security is a program that provides money to retired people.
What Committees She's On
For the current Congress (the 118th Congress), Ashley Hinson is on two important committees:
- The Committee on Appropriations: This committee decides how the government spends money. She is part of smaller groups within this committee that focus on agriculture, financial services, and homeland security.
- The Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party: This committee looks at how the U.S. competes with China.
Other Groups She's Part Of
Hinson is also a member of the Republican Study Committee. This is a group of conservative Republican members of Congress.
Personal Life
Ashley Hinson lives in Marion, Iowa. She is married and has two children. She is a Protestant, which is a branch of Christianity.
See Also
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
