Senator Joni Ernst announced early Tuesday afternoon that she will not run for reelection next November.
“After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking reelection in 2026,” Ernst said in a video. “This was no easy decision.”
Ernst’s message confirms various reports from last week that speculated Iowa’s junior U.S. Senator decided not to run for a third term.
Ernst, a retired lieutenant colonel and Army National Guard member, became the first female combat veteran to be elected to the upper chamber of Congress in 2014.
Ernst’s departure will provide multiple candidates an opportunity to fill her vacated seat. Republican Jim Carlin of Sergeant Bluff is a former legislator that announced earlier this year he will run in next year’s Republican primary.
On the Democrat side, Iowa State Representative Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, Nathan Sage of Indianola, a former executive director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, Iowa State Senator Zach Wahls of Coralville, and Des Moines School Board President Jackie Norris will vie for the Democratic nomination in 2026.
