Ernst to retire, Iowa Senate seat opens in 2026

Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa plans to announce next week that she will not seek reelection in 2026, multiple people familiar with her thinking told CBS News, a decision that immediately turns a high‑profile Senate contest into an open and potentially competitive race. Ernst, a Republican who has represented Iowa in the Senate since 2015, has not publicly confirmed the report and her office did not respond to requests for comment.

Ernst’s expected departure removes an incumbent advantage in a state that has trended strongly Republican in recent years and creates an opening Democrats are already seeking to exploit. Republicans currently hold a 53-47 majority in the Senate, and both parties view the Iowa seat as strategically important in the battle for control in the 2026 midterms.

Ernst, 55, rose from local and state office to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and has been among the GOP’s most prominent women leaders, at times holding a top leadership post. A veteran of the Iowa Army National Guard, she has also been a reliable vote for former President Donald Trump’s agenda. Earlier this year she signaled continued confidence in Republican prospects in Iowa, telling a conservative club that...