Republican Sen. Joni Ernst won't seek re-election in Iowa in 2026

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa plans to announce that she will not run for re-election in 2026.

WASHINGTON — Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, plans to announce that she will not run for re-election next year, according to three people familiar with her decision.

The move, first reported by CBS News, would open up another potentially competitive race in Iowa, months after GOP Gov. Kim Reynolds announced she wouldn’t run for re-election either. But while Democrats have been eyeing underdog bids in both races, they’ve struggled in recent statewide elections and haven’t won a Senate race in the state since 2008.

Another person familiar with the discussions said Ernst and her team had been wrestling with the decision for months. Ernst did not respond to a request for comment.

Ernst won re-election by more than six points in 2020. President Donald Trump carried the state by double-digits in 2024, although Democratic President Barack Obama won the state both in 2012 and 2008.

Rep. Ashley Hinson, R-Iowa, is planning to run for the open Senate seat to replace Ernst, according to two sources familiar with her plans. A former local TV news anchor who flipped a Democratic-held House seat in Northeastern Iowa in 2020, some Republicans view Hinson as a strong contender.