Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa is gearing up to shake things up by announcing next week that she will not run for reelection in 2026, according to multiple sources familiar with the situation who spoke to CBS News.
The 55-year-old senator, who has been serving since 2015, is expected to make her announcement public on Thursday. Her team has yet to respond to requests for comment.
Ernst’s decision has already sparked a surge of interest from Iowa Democrats eager to flip the seat. Among those jumping into the race are State Senator Zach Wahls, State Representative Josh Turek, and Jackie Norris, chairwoman of the Des Moines School Board.
Though Ernst has remained tight-lipped about her plans for a third term, she recently sounded confident about Republicans maintaining control of Iowa politics. At a Westside Conservative Club event earlier this month, she dismissed the growing Democratic interest, saying, “Every day we get a new Democratic member of the House or Senate that decides to run for this Senate seat bring it on. Because I tell you, at the end of the day, Iowa is going to be red.”
The White House had hoped Ernst would buck the trend of GOP senators stepping down including North Carolina’s Thom Tillis, Alabama’s Tommy Tuberville, and Kentucky’s Mitch McConnell and run again. Tennessee’s Marsha Blackburn announced a bid for governor, though her Senate term runs until 2030.
Sources close to Ernst say she has long intended to serve just two terms, believing she has achieved her goals in Washington and now plans to move into the private sector.
Ernst’s story is rooted in rural southwestern Iowa where she grew up. She graduated from Iowa State University before joining the Army Reserves, eventually retiring as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard following deployments in Kuwait and Iraq.
Before stepping onto the national stage, she held local and state government roles. Ernst won her Senate seat in 2014 and rose quickly, grabbing the No. 3 leadership spot in the Republican conference. She became a steadfast supporter of President Trump’s agenda and even appeared on the shortlist for his vice presidential pick in 2016, though she later withdrew from consideration.
Now, with Ernst stepping down, the 2026 Senate race in Iowa is shaping up to be one of the most watched and contested battles ahead.
