The race for next year’s Senate majority took an unexpected turn earlier in the week. Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Iowa, will not seek reelection in 2026, according to multiple sources familiar with her plans, ending a decade-long tenure in Washington that saw her rise to the upper ranks of Republican leadership.
An official announcement is expected soon, according to CBS News.
Ernst, 55, has told confidants that she believes she has achieved her goals over two terms and is ready to move into the private sector. Her office has not responded to requests for comment.
A native of rural southwestern Iowa, Ernst graduated from Iowa State University and served in the Iowa Army National Guard, retiring as a lieutenant colonel after deployments to Kuwait and Iraq. She built her political career first in local and state government before winning election to the Senate in 2014, where she became the chamber’s No. 3 Republican and a reliable backer of former President Donald Trump’s agenda. At one point in 2016, she was even considered for Trump’s vice-presidential slot but withdrew her name from contention.
While Ernst had been reluctant in recent months to talk about her future, she projected confidence in her party’s hold on Iowa. At a Westside Conservative Club meeting earlier this month, she dismissed Democratic challengers and declared flatly: “Iowa is going to be red.” Among those vying for the seat are state Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. Josh Turek, and Des Moines School Board chair Jackie Norris.
Her departure adds to a growing list of Republican senators heading for the exits, including Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama, and longtime GOP leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. The White House had hoped Ernst would remain in the race to help preserve Republican strength in the chamber. Meanwhile, Tennessee’s Sen. Marsha Blackburn, whose term runs until 2030, has already announced plans to seek her state’s governorship.
Ernst’s decision will almost certainly set off a high-stakes contest for her seat in 2026, one that could test the depth of Iowa’s Republican dominance while giving Democrats their best opening in years.
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