Iowa Republican Joni Ernst is retiring from the Senate after little over a decade.
In a statement, Ernst confirmed that she will not seek re-election in the 2026 midterm elections, handing Democrats a longshot opportunity to gain a seat in the Senate.
Ernst would have likely won another term, but Republicans are still favored to keep her seat in the former swing state, which has turned reliably Republican in the Trump era.
GOP senator out
An occasional critic of President Trump, Ernst is the first woman elected to Congress from Iowa and the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate.
The Iraq vet was the fourth highest-ranking member of Senate Republican leadership. A prominent war hawk, she played a role in confirming Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth after initially casting doubt on him.
The news of Ernst’s decision has Democrats beating their chests as they hope to regain Senate control from Republicans, who won a narrow majority in 2024.
“Donald Trump and Senate Republicans’ devastating agenda has put their majority in jeopardy,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-Ny.) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chair Kirsten Gillibrand (D-Ny.) said in a joint statement Tuesday.
“Democrats are in a strong position to win seats and continue fighting for working families.”
Congresswoman jumps in
Ernst’s retirement announcement came after various publications reported that she was planning to step aside. She won re-election once, in 2020, defeating her Democratic opponent by 7 points.
Iowa Republican congresswoman Ashley Hinson has already declared her candidacy for Ernst’s job. Former state Sen. Jim Carlin and veteran Joshua Smith had previously entered the primary to challenge Ernst.
“I’m all in,’’ Hinson posted on X. “As Iowa’s next Senator, I will stop at nothing to Make America Great!”
Some Democrats who are vying for the seat include state Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. Josh Turek, Jackie Norris, chair of the Des Moines School Board, and Nathan Sage, a former chamber of commerce president.
Ernst came under scrutiny earlier this year for her flat-footed response to a constituent who asked about Medicaid cuts, with Ernst commenting, “Well, we’re all going to die.”
Democrats have seized on Ernst’s reply to attack Trump’s “Big, Beautiful Bill,” which is expected to weigh heavily in the midterm elections.
Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R), the oldest member of Congress, said it was an “honor” working with Ernst.
“Whatever she chooses to do in her next chapter, they will be lucky to have this outstanding leader on the team,” he added.
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Author: Matthew Boose
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