Joni Ernst announces retirement, leaving Iowa Senate seat open for 2026

Published September 2, 2025 1:25pm ET



Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) has decided not to run for a third term in the Senate, ending more than a decade in Washington and setting off a scramble for her seat in 2026.

In a video announcement, Ernst called serving Iowans “the privilege of a lifetime,” citing her upbringing on a farm in southwestern Iowa, her two decades in the Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard, and her years in public office.

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