Discovery Insights Elections Candidates Calendar Watchlist

Republican

Jim Carlin

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa

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Republican

Jim Carlin

Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa

Website

Iowa Republican Senate nominee?

$49.9K

JUN 3, 2026

Primary Election

Party selects its nominee.

Live Odds — Iowa Republican Senate nominee?

Current prediction-market probability for the candidate, updated as market prices change.

1.5%chance to win

$49.9K

JUN 3, 2026

Candidate Overview

Key details about the candidate’s background, party, office sought and current campaign.

Current roleFormer State Senator

PartyRepublican

Political ideologyTrump-aligned Republican

GenderMale

LocationIowa

BackgroundAttorney

EducationBachelor’s degree in economics, University of Massachusetts

Notable personal detailsJim Carlin is an American attorney and Republican politician from Sioux City, Iowa. He served in the Iowa House of Representatives in 2017 and later served in the Iowa Senate representing District 3 (2017–2023). Carlin has run for the Republican nomination for U.S. Senate in Iowa, including filing with the FEC for the 2026 election cycle.

SourcesShow

fec.gov legis.iowa.gov carlinforussenate.com en.wikipedia.org carrollcountyiowagop.org iowapublicradio.org grassley.senate.gov senate.gov iowacapitaldispatch.com kcci.com warrencountyia.gov en.wikipedia-on-ipfs.org sos.iowa.gov storycountyiowa.gov caffeinatedthoughts.com turn0search0.invalid thegazette.com iowastandard.com ontheissues.org theiowastandard.com insurancenewsnet.com ammoland.com cbs2iowa.com ballotpedia.org ivoterguide.com facebook.com radioiowa.com kcrg.com ktiv.com kwwl.com thehill.com iowafieldreport.com abcnews.com youtube.com who13.com justfacts.votesmart.org docquery.fec.gov ballotready.org commons.wikimedia.org dailypress.senate.gov

Political Positions

LiberalConservative

Economy & Taxes

Supports major tax reductions and limiting tax increases, including lowering or eliminating corporate and income taxes, prioritizing balanced budgets and sound money (including consideration of a gold standard).

Healthcare

Supports limiting federal involvement in health care and emphasizes individual choice and medical freedom (including opposition to vaccine mandates). Has sponsored state-level bills to protect physicians who prescribe contested COVID-19 treatments and has called for reducing government role in healthcare costs.

Immigration & Border

The candidate emphasizes securing the U.S. border and stronger border enforcement, supports enforcing visa laws, and links stricter border security to combating drug trafficking. He indicates that border security should precede discussions of eligibility for citizenship or guest-worker programs. The campaign calls for tougher laws and increased enforcement to address illegal migration and fentanyl/drug flows.

Abortion & Reproductive Rights

Supports defining life at conception and strongly restricts abortion access, including backing heartbeat (approximately six-week) and 20-week abortion bans and opposing taxpayer-funded abortion. Has led and promoted pro-life legislation while serving in the Iowa Senate and in his campaign materials.

Climate & Energy

The candidate supports expanding domestic energy production and lower energy costs while also saying farmers should have opportunities to profit from biofuels, wind, solar, and carbon credits. Public materials and interviews emphasize market-based approaches and limited government intervention rather than endorsement of aggressive emissions targets or Green New Deal–style policies.

Public Safety & Guns

Jim Carlin strongly supports Second Amendment rights, including Iowa’s constitutional-carry approach and national concealed-carry reciprocity. He opposes red-flag-style laws and federal incentives that he says undermine due process and gun owners’ rights. His campaign materials commit to standing against efforts to weaken gun ownership protections.

Latest News

AINews Summary

Last updatedJul 15, 2026

Jim Carlin lost the Iowa Republican Senate primary to Ashley Hinson, who won the nomination and will move on to the general election. After the result, Carlin urged supporters not to vote for Hinson, underscoring the split in the GOP race. Earlier coverage had cast Hinson as the heavy favorite, with major national Republican backing behind her campaign.

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Articles

SCSioux City Journal4 months ago