MAGA candidate's 'unexplained' attendance issues led to 200 missed votes: report

A MAGA lawmaker who is running for a Senate seat in Iowa missed nearly 200 votes during her time in Congress on topics ranging from protecting kids to reducing crime and domestic violence, according to a new report.

Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA) has been absent from 196 votes since she was sworn into office in 2021, American Journal News reported on Thursday. Her attendance record was revealed at a time when she is running against Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, a Democrat, in a high-stakes election, according to the outlet.

Several of the votes Hinson missed raised red flags, the report found.

"In May 2025, for example, Hinson missed a committee vote to increase funding for the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The committee manager said the increase was to combat the rise of AI-generated child pornography and the strain it was putting on law enforcement," according to the report.

She also seems to have missed votes about topics that matter to her local constituents, the report noted.

"Hinson missed a vote this year on a sweeping amendment related to data center transparency," it reads in part. "It would require data centers to publicly disclose their construction plans and compel the Energy Department to analyze the effect centers have on utility bills."

"There are now 116 data centers in Iowa. Several Iowa communities have passed moratoriums to stop more centers from being built," it added.