Jim Carlin, who’s challenging U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, calls her a ‘phony politician’ in Cedar Rapids

CEDAR RAPIDS — Iowa Republican and former state lawmaker Jim Carlin criticized U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst's voting record, calling her a “phony” politician during a campaign launch event Thursday in Cedar Rapids.

Carlin announced last week he is running for Iowa’s U.S. Senate seat and it seeking to challenge the incumbent Republican in the 2026 Iowa GOP primary.

Ernst is serving her second, six-year term representing Iowa in the U.S. Senate. She has not formally launched a re-election campaign, but has hired a campaign manager, sending a clear signal she is building an operation to run for a third term.

Speaking at Calvary Community Church in Cedar Rapids, Carlin highlighted his commitment to conservative values, including financial transparency, free market principles and election integrity.

He advocated for restoring “financial sanity” and America's manufacturing base, adding transparency in government spending and securing the U.S. border.

Carlin also stressed the need for leaders who genuinely represent their constituents and uphold the Constitution.

He condemned Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds’ veto of legislation that sought to limit pipeline projects and the use of eminent domain. He applauded 13 Senate Republicans who broke with leadership to join Democrats to pass the bill, and who signed a pledge to withhold their support for budget bills until House File 639 was called up in the Senate for debate and a vote, calling it “unprecedented.”

“Now, precedent has been set,” Carlin said. “The game has changed because of the courage of our legislators who stood up for liberty, and that's why I'm optimistic, because there is an undercurrent. There is a frustration in our country that people are no longer being heard, and they know it.

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“They know they're being taken advantage of. They know they're not being listened to,” he continued. “And the openness to our message — the message of freedom, which I believe is America's destination when we put our faith in God, — I believe they're going to listen to us. I believe we now have an open door like we've never had before. I think people are tired of phony politicians.”

Carlin said he supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, banning super PACs that allow hidden money in elections and implementing “verifiable and auditable ballot solutions.”

Carlin previously served in Iowa Legislature

Carlin is an attorney from Sergeant Bluff who served in the Iowa Legislature from 2017 to 2022 and previously in the Iowa House. He is founder of the Iowa Liberty Network, a Christian, grassroots organization focused on electing “authentic, constitutional conservatives” to the Iowa Legislature and other public offices, according to its website.

Carlin previously ran unsuccessfully against Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in 2022.

A staunch pro-Trump conservative who criticized Grassley for not pushing to investigate unsubstantiated allegations of widespread fraud in the 2020 election, Carlin lost the primary with 26.5 percent of the vote.

“I am an absolutely unapologetic America First guy. I do proudly support President Trump,” Carlin said to applause from the roughly 80 supporters gathered at the campaign event.

Leo Kelly, a Cedar Rapids man who was convicted for his participation in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol and served about 11 months in federal prison, emceed the event.

Speakers included Sen. Kevin Alons, R-Salix; Sen. Doug Campbell, R-Mason City; Rep. Eddie Andrews, R-Johnston; and Rep. Samantha Fett, R-Carlisle. They highlighted the role of faith in guiding political actions, quoting biblical scriptures and urging attendees to support candidates who align with their values and to work toward restoring liberty and integrity in government.

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Carlin calls out Ernst’s 2014 promise to serve just two terms

Carlin said Ernst is not reflecting Iowa Republicans’ values in Congress. He pointed to the Heritage Action scorecard for Ernst from the 2023 session, when she received a 42 percent score for how often her votes aligned with conservative goals.

He also has criticized Ernst over her support for providing military aid to Ukraine in its fight against Russia and her 2022 vote in favor of the Respect for Marriage Act as examples of Ernst not voting in line with conservative values.

Ernst received censures from at least six county parties after her vote for the act. She has defended her vote, saying the law provides greater protections for religious liberty and maintains the status quo when it comes to marriage laws in Iowa.

Carlin said Ernst has not delivered on her commitment to “make ’em squeal” by cutting federal spending, as well as a promise to serve only two terms in the U.S. Senate. In a 2014 Republican primary debate on Iowa PBS, Ernst stated that if elected to the Senate, she would only seek two terms. She said, "Twelve years, and I would also like to see an amendment (to establish term limits).“

“Iowans deserve a Senator who doesn't just talk the talk back home, but consistently votes conservative in Washington,” Carlin said in a campaign ad that played on a large screen before taking the stage to deliver remarks.

“That's why I'm running for U.S. Senate, because the country we love is slipping away,” he says in the ad. “The Republican Party is the Republican Party when it does two things: when it stands up for the Constitution and when its destination is the freedom of all Americans. Open borders, out of control spending and a disconnected political class are putting our future at risk. I'm America First through and through. I'm a veteran, a father, a grandfather and a Christian. It's time to send an America First conservative, because Iowans need someone who's actually going to go to bat that for them.”

Ernst’s campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Bryan Kraber, Ernst’s campaign manager, in a statement last week responding to Carlin’s campaign announcement, said the GOP incumbent and combat veteran will continue her work to deliver results and conservative leadership for Iowa's working families, farmers and veterans.

“Sen. Ernst has a proven record of conservative leadership — cutting waste, securing the border, and making Washington squeal to keep Iowans’ hard-earned money in their own pockets,” Kraber said in a statement. “ … Iowans already saw through Carlin’s last failed campaign, and they’ll reject his desperate attempt at relevance again in 2026.”

Event attendee wants ‘America first’ candidate

Betty Miller, 76, of Independence, said she agrees with Carlin’s conservative, "America first“ message, criticizing the U.S. for sending aid to countries ”hostile to America“ and highlighting issues like providing health coverage and other government benefits to noncitizens, including those on humanitarian parole.

Miller also expressed concerns about Ernst breaking a promise to serve only two terms.

She said she is skeptical about Carlin's chances against Ernst, but believes his message resonates with voters due to his stance on religious freedom.

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Keith Bailey, 41, of Cedar Falls, said he is looking for a candidate interested in lowering taxes and protecting private property rights, and said he feels Ernst has not consistently voted in line with these values.

He praised Carlin for supporting a bill while serving in the Iowa Senate that would ban transgender individuals from using school restrooms matching their gender identity.

Bailey said he believes Ernst is not working for the people of Iowa and is more interested in attaching herself to popular figures rather than serving her constituents.

Comments: (319) 398-8499; tom.barton@thegazette.com