Cruz among top Republicans helping Iowa’s Hinson launch 2022 congressional reelection bid

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EXCLUSIVE - Rising GOP star Rep. Ashley Hinson of Iowa got a helping hand from a number of top Republicans as she formally announced her 2022 reelection campaign.

Hinson was joined by Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, the conservative firebrand and former and potentially future Republican presidential candidate, longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, Hawkeye State Gov. Kim Reynolds, former longtime Gov. Terry Branstad, and Republican National Committee chair Ronna McDaniel on Saturday at a well-attended rally at the Linn County fairgrounds in Central City, Iowa.

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Hinson represents Iowa’s 1st Congressional District, which covers the northeast quarter of the state and includes the cities Cedar Rapids and Dubuque. The former TV anchor narrowly defeated Democratic incumbent Rep. Abby Finkenauer last November and could face a challenging reelection next year, as the GOP aims to retake take the House majority they lost in the 2018 midterm elections. Republicans need a net gain of just five seats in the 2022 contests to regain the majority.

"I work hard for every vote, regardless of whether it's Republican, Democrat or independent, because ultimately I know this is a swing district. It's flipped back and forth several times over the last 10 years," Hinson emphasized in a national exclusive interview with Fox News following the event.

And she spotlighted that "Iowans value commonsense. They want someone who listens to them. They want someone who's going to tell their stories in Washington, D.C. And I've delivered on that promise since my first day in office. And so I think that's pretty clear by the crowd we had here today."

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Cruz, in his headliner speech, praised Hinson as "a congresswoman who wakes up every day in Washington, D.C. Who straps on her gladiator armor and goes and battles the lunatics for the great state of Iowa."

While the GOP lost the White House and the Senate majority in the 2020 cycle contests, they defied expectations and took a big bite out of the Democrats’ House majority. Republicans flipped two House seats in Iowa from blue to red and now control three of the state’s four congressional districts.

Cruz told the crowd and emphasized in the Fox News interview that Hinson’s "going to be re-elected in 2022. And control of the House of Representatives, I think, comes right through Iowa. Iowa has critical races. Ashley needs to win. She's going to win. We're going to pick up seats in Iowa and we're going to retake the majority. We're going to retire (Democratic House Speaker) Nancy Pelosi."

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State Sen. Liz Mathis, a former TV anchor and nonprofit engagement director, last month became the first major Democrat to launch a 2022 challenge against Hinson.