Joni Ernst: Iowa Senator Joni Ernst won’t launch a major Senate race in 2026

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has decided that she will not run for a third term in 2026, according to people familiar with her decision. She has been thinking about this for months and claims she has reported that she has just recently begun telling her close friends that she is planning to retire.

According to multiple sources, Ernst is scheduled to make an official announcement next Thursday. Her retirement means Iowa will be opening his Senate seat in 2026.

Iowa Senate Race 2026

Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson is already preparing to take part in the Senate race, according to GOP officials. The Democrats were also lined up for seats. State Sen. Zach Walls, state Sen. Josh Turek, and Des Moines School Board Chairman Jackie Norris are all running, as CBS reported.

Earlier this month, Ernst declined to give a clear answer as to whether she would run again, but she told Republicans that Iowa remains a red state. At Westside Conservative Club, she said of Democrats taking part in the race:

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The White House hoped Ernst would run again instead of joining other Republicans leaving the Senate, including Tom Tillis of North Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky.

Another Republican, Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee, announced she will run for governor, but her Senate term will not expire until 2030. People close to Ernst say she had always planned to serve only two terms in the Senate. They believe she has accomplished what she is trying to do and says she now wants to move into the private sector, according to the CBS report.

Joni Ernst’s political career

Ernst grew up in the countryside of southwestern Iowa and graduated from Iowa State University. She joined the Army Reserve and later joined the Iowa Army National Guard, resigning as lieutenant colonel after tours of missions in Kuwait and Iraq. Before winning a Senate seat, she served in local and state governments in Iowa. She first won her Open US Senate seat in 2014.

In Washington, she rose to the third leadership position among Senate Republicans and was a loyal supporter of President Donald Trump’s agenda. In 2016, Trump interviewed her as a vice president’s option, but as stated in the CBS report, Ernst later retracted from consideration.

FAQ

Q1. Why isn’t Joni Ernst running for the Senate again?
Joni Ernst plans to serve only two terms, achieves her goals and now she wants to move into the private sector.

Q2. Who is running for the Iowa Senate seat in 2026?
Republican Rep. Ashley Hinson is expected to run, while Democrats Zack Woars, Josh Turek and Jackie Norris are already in the race.