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Who is Ashley Hinson? 2024 GOP presidential candidates rally at Iowa Congresswoman's annual BBQ bash

From Florida Gov Ron DeSantis to ex-South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley, Ashley Hinson's third annual BBQ bash was attended by more than 300 people

CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA: Iowa Congresswoman Ashley Hinson hosted her annual ‘BBQ Bash’ on Sunday, August 6, welcoming several of the Republican candidates for the 2024 presidential run to speak in front of Iowans. The 40-year-old Hinson’s third annual fundraising event was attended by more than 300 people at Hawkeye Downs Speedway & Expo Centre in Cedar Rapids.

At the fundraising event, seven of the Republican White House hopefuls were given their own time to speak on stage, making their pitches to Iowa voters. The candidates featured at the event included Florida Gov Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov Nikki Haley, North Dakota Gov Doug Burgum, Ohio biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former Arkansas Gov Asa Hutchinson, conservative talk radio host and former California gubernatorial candidate Larry Elder and Michigan businessman Perry Johnson. Iowa Republican Gov Kim Reynolds Iowa Republican US Sen Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst and fellow Iowa GOP US Reps Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Zach Nunn were also a few guests to join Hinson on stage.

Who is Ashley Hinson?

An Iowa native, Hinson currently serves as the representative for Iowa's 2nd congressional district. She previously served in the Iowa State House, representing a northeastern district including Cedar Rapids, Waterloo, Cedar Falls, and Dubuque. Hinson is a graduate of Valley High School in West Des Moines and the University of Southern California, where she majored in broadcast journalism. Before debuting her political career, she worked as a news anchor, reporter, and producer for KCRG-TV9. While working as a journalist, Hinson earned a slew of recognition as a two-time Midwest regional Emmy award winner, an RTDNA Health Reporting Fellow, and a Waypoint Tribute to Women Honoree, as per her website.

Hinson is married to Matthew Arenholz, with whom she shares to two teen sons. At her annual event, Hinson talked about how crucial it will be to unseat Democratic incumbent Joe Biden as president in 2024. “The reason we’re in this fight is that the radical left has declared war on middle America and our values,” she said, adding “They have opened up our Southern border. They have spent trillions of dollars we don’t have. They have let criminals out onto our streets and they turned our schools into woke indoctrination centers. But, we’re not going to sit on the sidelines as Joe Biden destroys our country.” As per The Gazette, the congresswoman also added that she “will not stand for the politicization of our justice system under President Joe Biden.”

'2024 is make or break for this country'

Florida governor pleaded at the event that if he got elected, he would deploy the military on the US-Mexico border, build the border wall, and authorize the use of “deadly force” against Mexican drug cartels. “They are going to end up stone-cold dead at the Southern Border,” DeSantis said. He also talked about the importance of the 2024 election, saying "2024 is make or break for this country. Freedom is fragile. Our founding fathers understood this. Each generation is going to be called upon to step up and preserve freedom when it's under assault,” according to KWWL.

The presidential contenders presented their cases for why they would make the best choice to run against President Biden. They focused on issues like immigration, the Southern border, and taking back control from the government. "We, the people, create a government that is accountable to us. Not the other way around," Ramaswamy said, adding "We sort out our differences through free speech and open debate in the public square. Where every person's voice and vote counts equally." Burgum also expressed the same feelings, asserting that "Biden’s energy policy represents an attack on biofuels, ethanol, oil, and gas."