Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa is preparing to step away from the U.S. Senate after two terms, according to multiple reports. The announcement is expected next Thursday, setting the stage for a wide-open 2026 race in a state that has become reliably Republican in recent years.
CBS News first reported the news:
Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has told confidantes she plans to reveal next week that she won’t seek reelection in 2026, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
Fox News confirmed with its own sources that Ernst has been weighing the decision for months:
Ernst, a retired Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard officer who served in the Iraq War, has been wrestling for months whether to run for re-election in 2026.
CNN also reported that Ernst has been quietly sharing her decision in recent days:
Ernst, 55, has been wrestling with the decision for months, but began telling friends in recent days.
Ernst had recently struck a defiant tone toward Democrats eyeing her seat, predicting Iowa would stay firmly in Republican hands:
“Every day we get a new Democratic member of the House or Senate that decides to run for this Senate seat — bring it on,” she said at a meeting of the Westside Conservative Club. “Bring it on, folks. Because I tell you, at the end of the day, Iowa is going to be red.”
Iowa, once a battleground won by Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012, has shifted sharply to the right in the Trump era. Republicans now hold both Senate seats, all four congressional districts, and nearly every statewide office. Ernst’s 2014 win, powered by her “make ’em squeal” ads, marked the beginning of that shift.
With Ernst stepping aside, Iowa will see its first open U.S. Senate race in more than a decade. GOP Rep. Ashley Hinson is already preparing a campaign, while several Democrats have entered the race.
Her official announcement is expected next Thursday.
This story will continue to develop. Check back for more.
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