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Iowa’s Ernst makes it official, will not seek re-election to third U.S. Senate term
After reports were published last week, Ernst issued a video statement Tuesday saying she wants to devote more time to her family
Sep. 2, 2025 12:31 pm, Updated: Sep. 3, 2025 7:25 am
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DES MOINES — Saying it is time to give back to the family that has supported her during her career in public service, Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst in a video message announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election next year.
Ernst’s announcement confirms national reports published late last week that said Ernst had decided against running for a third term and would make an announcement this week.
Ernst said hers “was no easy decision.”
“Having been raised in a family who has given me so much love and support, now as our family ages and grows, it’s my time for me to give back to them,” Ernst said in 2-minute, 33-second video published Tuesday by her official office. “After a tremendous amount of prayer and reflection, I will not be seeking re-election in 2026.”
Ernst was the first Iowa woman elected to federal office and the first female combat veteran elected to the U.S. Senate.
Ernst, who is 55, is divorced. Her daughter Libby serves in the U.S. Army.
A native of Red Oak in Southwest Iowa, Ernst is a former commander in the Iowa National Guard, Montgomery County Auditor, and state senator. She was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014 in an open-seat campaign after the retirement of longtime Iowa Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin and was reelected in 2020.
In that 2014 election, Ernst won a competitive Republican primary then defeated former Eastern Iowa Democratic Congressman Bruce Braley in the general election. Her campaign caught fire in March of that year with an ad in which she promised to go to Congress to “make ’em squeal,” a reference to her work castrating hogs on the farm on which she grew up.
In her video statement Tuesday, Ernst claimed victory on that front, saying that during her time in the U.S. Senate, the federal government has cut waste, fraud and abuse and “reined in over-burdensome rules and regulations.”
Ernst also in the video said she is proud of her work on anti-abortion policies, on prevention of violence against women, and to support farmers, small businesses and veterans.
“It has been an honor to dedicate my life to the service of our great state and country,” Ernst said in her video statement. “I never imagined this farm girl would have the opportunity to serve as a lieutenant colonel and then a United States Senator. Only in America and by the grace of God.”
Ernst won a five-way 2014 Republican primary election with a commanding 56 percent of the vote, well ahead of veteran and former talk radio personality Sam Clovis (18 percent) and businessman Mark Jacobs (16.8 percent).
In the general election, Ernst defeated Braley by 8 percentage points.
In 2020, Ernst defeated Democratic challenger Theresa Greenfield by 6.6 points.
In the U.S. Senate, Ernst has served on committees on the Armed Services, Homeland Security and Agriculture. She has chaired subcommittees on Emerging Threats and Capabilities, Rural Development, Energy, and Credit, and Small Business and Entrepreneurship.
Ernst served for several years in the No. 4 spot in the Senate Republican leadership and was considered a vice presidential contender for Trump’s first White House run. In 2024, she ran unsuccessfully for the No. 3 spot in the Senate GOP leadership.
In the Senate, Ernst has leaned into her 2014 campaign promise by addressing areas in which she felt federal resources were being wasted. She has, for example, pressured remote federal workers to return to government offices, and offered to work with President Donald Trump’s DOGE department on government efficiency.
A survivor of sexual abuse and domestic violence, Ernst has worked on addressing sexual violence in the military and more generally. She has worked on the periodic renewal of the Violence Against Women Act — which provides federal funding to programs designed to combat sexual assault and domestic violence — including during a protracted renewal effort that took roughly three years while Republicans and Democrats debated whether and how to close the so-called “boyfriend” loophole in gun ownership laws.
In her statement, Ernst did not indicate what she plans to do next, but said she will serve the remainder of her term through the end of next year, and said she will continue to ensure Iowans’ voices are heard “loud and clear in the halls of Congress.”
“I’m not slowing down any time soon. There is still so much to accomplish before the end of my term,” Ernst said. “While this chapter of elected service will soon close, I will always find ways to best serve my community, state and these great United States of America.”
With Ernst out, Hinson announces Senate run in reshaped race
Mere hours after Ernst made her announcement Tuesday, Eastern Iowa Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson announced her candidacy for the U.S. Senate.
Hinson had been planning to run for re-election in Eastern Iowa’s 2nd Congressional District, but had long been seen as a likely candidate for the Senate if either of Iowa’s seats came open.
“The America First agenda is working for Iowans. I’m running for Senate because there’s more work to do, and I am prepared to win and deliver,” Hinson said in a statement issued Tuesday.
Prior to her announcement, Ernst had been viewed as a favorite to win re-election in 2026. Before Ernst’s exit, Iowa’s U.S. Senate election was classified as “likely Republican” by prominent national forecasters Sabato’s Crystal Ball, the Cook Political Report and Inside Elections.
But Democrats had expressed confidence in their ability to win the seat back, even before Ernst’s announcement. They have been especially critical of Ernst’s now-infamous “We all are going to die” comment at a town hall event earlier this year.
The comment came when Ernst was answering a question about Republican proposals to reduce future federal spending on Medicaid, the government health program for disabled and low-income Americans. When an attendee shouted in warning that people will die due to the cuts, Ernst responded, “Well, we all are going to die.”
Four Democrats are campaigning in Iowa’s 2026 U.S. Senate election: state legislators Zach Wahls of Coralville and Josh Turek of Council Bluffs, Des Moines school board leader Jackie Norris, and former chamber of commerce leader Nathan Sage of Indianola.
Jim Carlin, a former state lawmaker from Sioux City, was running in the Republican primary long before Ernst’s announcement Tuesday. During his campaign launch event, Carlin called Ernst a “phony” politician. In a statement issued Tuesday, Carlin thanked Ernst for her service to Iowa and the nation.
“But let's be clear: this is a critical moment, and Iowa doesn't need another establishment-picked, uniparty Republican,” Carlin said in his statement. “The same establishment that orchestrated this moment will soon push another handpicked candidate who pretends to care about us and pretends to support President Trump, but isn’t truly on our side. These insiders got us into this mess. Iowa demands a true conservative fighter who puts America first, Iowans first, and fully backs President Trump’s bold agenda to make America great again.”
NBC News on Friday reported U.S. Ambassador to NATO and former Iowa Hawkeye football player Matt Whitaker also would consider running for the seat if Ernst declines to seek re-election, citing a source familiar with Whitaker’s thinking.
Whitaker was among the four candidates who Ernst defeated in the 2014 Iowa Republican U.S. Senate primary election.
Ernst had $3.4 million in her campaign account as of the end of June, according to the most recent quarterly federal campaign finance reports, and in June hired a campaign manager. Her annual Roast and Ride fundraiser is scheduled for October.
Iowa’s primary election is June 2 and the 2026 general election is next Nov. 3.
Iowa officials, political rivals react
Reaction to Ernst’s announcement poured in Tuesday from across Iowa.
Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, who has been Ernst’s colleague in the chamber during her entire tenure, issued a statement praising Ernst for breaking barriers.
“I will miss serving with Joni but know she will enjoy having more time to cherish her favorite role, as a mother and grandmother,” Grassley said. “Joni is a valued partner in the Senate, and I look forward to working together on issues important to Iowans throughout the remainder of her term.”
Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, in a social media post, thanked Ernst and praised her for her “unwavering commitment to serving” Iowa. And Republican Party of Iowa Chairman Jeff Kaufmann, in a statement, praised Ernst for following through on her 2014 campaign promise.
“From the start, Joni set out to make Washington squeal, and she delivered. Her work to cut government waste, stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars, protect Iowa’s farms and small businesses, and pass Sarah’s Law has left a lasting impact,” Kaufmann said. “Iowa is better off because of Sen. Ernst’s leadership, and we are confident the next generation of Republican leaders will continue building on her incredible legacy.”
Iowa Democratic Party Chairwoman Rita Hart, in a statement, claimed Ernst’s decision to not seek re-election is rooted in her support for the Republican federal tax and spending law that will reduce future Medicaid spending by $941 billion over 10 years.
“While Joni Ernst dropped out of this race because she knows her support for Medicaid cuts is a nonstarter, the eventual Republican nominee for Senate will be saddled with the same toxic Republican agenda that’s harming Iowa families,” Hart said. “The energy is on our side heading into the midterms as Iowans are fed up with Washington Republicans spiking costs for working people to deliver tax cuts for billionaires. In 2026, Iowans will elect a Democrat to the U.S. Senate who will prioritize making Iowa economically prosperous and a healthier state.”
U.S. Senate Democrats’ campaign arm opened its statement, via a spokesperson, about Ernst’s decision with a simple, “Good riddance.”
“Joni Ernst came to Washington with empty promises and is leaving having gutted Iowa Health Link (the state’s Medicaid program) and making it harder for families to afford basic goods. But only after laughing in the face of Iowans living with the very real consequences of her actions,” Senate Majority PAC spokesperson Lauren French said, referring to Ernst’s “We all are going to die” comment.
“An open seat in Iowa is just the latest example of Democrats expanding the senatorial map,” French said. “And the fact remains, regardless of who the GOP nominee is, they are going to have to answer to Iowans hurting because of the deep cuts to health care and nutrition assistance forced upon them by congressional Republicans.”
Iowa Republican Agriculture Sec. Mike Naig, in a statement, called Ernst, “a strong voice for our farmers, rural communities, and all who call this state home,” and praised her support for biofuels.
Gazette Deputy Bureau Chief Tom Barton contributed to this report.
Comments: (515) 355-1300, erin.murphy@thegazette.com
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