Former state Sen. Jim Carlin is back in the headlines. Unfortunately for Iowa Republicans, it’s not because he has a plan to advance conservative priorities or help keep a critical U.S. Senate seat in Republican hands.
Instead, after suffering yet another decisive primary defeat, Carlin says he cannot support Republican nominee Ashley Hinson and is encouraging conservatives to withhold their votes in November.
The comments sparked immediate pushback from Republican leaders across Iowa.
Former State Senator Jim Carlin
According to a Radio Iowa report, Iowa House Majority Leader Bobby Kaufmann criticized Carlin’s call for Republicans to sit out the election. At the same time, State Rep. Steve Holt, one of the legislature’s most outspoken conservatives, also rejected the idea.
Their message was simple: the primary is over.
That matters because it completely undermines Carlin’s central argument.
For months, Carlin has portrayed himself as the candidate for constitutional conservatives. But when some of Iowa’s most conservative lawmakers publicly reject his call to abandon the Republican nominee, it raises an obvious question: who exactly is Carlin speaking for?
In comments to the Des Moines Register, Carlin offered this explanation:
“Perhaps it is time for a Christian constitutional conservative movement or party that actually represents the people who still believe in faith, family, freedom, truth, borders, honest money and the Constitution of the United States,” he said. “And if standing for those things means losing elections for a season, then so be it. Better to lose fighting honorably than to win by surrendering everything that matters.”
It’s a dramatic statement, and it’s also detached from reality.
Ashley Hinson has consistently championed the very issues Carlin claims have been abandoned. She earned President Trump’s endorsement, has supported efforts to secure the southern border, has fought for conservative fiscal policies, and has built a strong record of backing Iowa families and values in Congress.
Faith and family organizations across Iowa support her and have earned the backing of Republican leaders from every corner of the state.
As Hinson communications director Billy Fuerst put it:
“Ashley will continue to unite Iowans behind her commonsense, conservative agenda and earn the votes of all Iowans — Republican, independent, and Democrat — who want a strong, effective leader as their next Senator.”
That’s the difference between Hinson and Carlin.
Hinson is focused on winning, and Carlin is focused on losing.
This is hardly a new pattern. Carlin lost his U.S. Senate primary challenge in 2022. He lost his attempt to return to the Iowa Senate in 2024. And earlier this month, Republican primary voters overwhelmingly rejected his Senate bid in favor of Hinson.
Most candidates understand what comes next. You congratulate the winner, support the nominee, and focus on defeating Democrats.
Carlin’s response suggests something different.
Rather than respecting the decision of Republican voters, he’s once again arguing that if he isn’t the candidate, the candidate who won must be inadequate. If the party doesn’t choose him, the party must have lost its way.
That’s not leadership. It’s self-interest masquerading as principle.
Ashley Hinson is focused on advancing conservative priorities and delivering results for Iowa. Jim Carlin is focused on Jim Carlin.
That’s why supporting Hinson is an easy choice for Republicans who want to keep this Senate seat, advance President Trump’s agenda, and continue building on Iowa’s conservative successes.
Iowa Republicans have made their choice. The only question now is whether Carlin will ever accept it.
