Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa has privately told allies she will not seek reelection in 2026, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed. An official announcement is expected next Thursday.
Ernst, 55, has served in the U.S. Senate since 2015 and rose to become the No. 3 Republican in Senate leadership. Known as a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump and a reliable GOP vote, she was even vetted by Trump as a possible vice-presidential candidate in 2016 before withdrawing her name.
Her departure would add to a wave of Republican exits from the chamber. North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville, and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky have all said they won’t run again. Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn is pursuing a gubernatorial bid, though her Senate term doesn’t expire until 2030.
Iowa race already crowded
Even before Ernst’s decision, Iowa Democrats had begun lining up for the seat. State Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. Josh Turek, and Des Moines School Board chairwoman Jackie Norris are among those campaigning.
Earlier this month, Ernst brushed off questions about her future but predicted her party would keep the seat. “Every day we get a new Democratic member … bring it on,” she told a conservative club audience. “At the end of the day, Iowa is going to be red.”
Military and political career
A native of rural southwestern Iowa, Ernst attended Iowa State University and later served overseas in Kuwait and Iraq before retiring as a lieutenant colonel from the Iowa Army National Guard. She entered politics through local and state government before winning her first Senate race in 2014.
According to people close to her, Ernst has long suggested she would serve only two terms. Sources said she now feels she has “accomplished what she set out to do” and intends to transition into the private sector after 2026.
Her decision sets up what is expected to be one of the nation’s most closely watched Senate races in the next cycle — one that could help determine the balance of power in Washington.