U.S. Joni Ernst won’t seek re-election

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst - Iowa

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, an Iowa Republican and a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, is not seeking re-election in 2026.

Ernst, a native of Red Oak, who grew up on a family farm in southwest Iowa, was first elected in 2014 and was re-elected in 2020, and was the state’s first woman to serve as a senator. She has been an advocate for Iowa’s farmers, families, biofuel producers, small businesses, and veterans.

Ernst noted her aging and growing family in a video message posted on her website.