Senator Joni Ernst will not seek re-election

Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) has been fierce during her time in office, a true conservative warrior.

Sadly, her time in office is about to end, and the timing of this could not be worse.

After the GOP suffered a couple of shocking losses in special elections, breaking the super majority in the state Senate, a fresh name will be on the ballot in 2026.

Hit the Ground Running

Ernst is only in her second term, having taken office in January 2015.

She is a veteran of the United States Army Reserve, retiring in 2015 from the Guard with the rank of Lt. Colonel.

She has never held her tongue in going after the weak policies of Biden, having ripped the administration over its neglect of Taiwan, stating, “While Joe Biden and Kamala Harris’ appeasement of Iran has put the spotlight on the Middle East, China’s aggression in the South China Sea and beyond hasn’t slowed.

“Sending useless equipment to our partner while it is in the CCP’s [Chinese Communist Party’s] sights is just the latest instance of how this administration has damaged America’s credibility around the world.”

Shock Win

Last week, it was reported that Democrats pulled off an upset win during a special election in a district won by Trump during the presidential election.

This win helped the Democrats block the supermajority held by Republicans in the state Senate for the last three years.

Yet, rather than concern, all we heard were excuses from the Iowa GOP, with Chairman Jeff Kaufmann stating, “National Democrats were so desperate for a win that they activated 30,000 volunteers and a flood of national money to win a state senate special election by a few hundred votes.”

Democrats fired right back, with Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee President Heather Williams stating, “As Trump and Republicans wreck the economy and erode democracy with power-grabbing schemes, Democrats’ special election wins should send a flashing warning to the GOP: voters are rejecting the failing MAGA agenda and leaving Republican candidates in the dust.”

Time to Go

We need Ernst in office, and at 55, I was sure she would run one more time. This is especially true considering the historical nature of this midterm cycle.

However, Ernst has decided to step away, according to a CBS report, which stated, “Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has told confidantes she plans to reveal next week that she won't seek reelection in 2026, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.”

This is the second high-profile female Republican to call it quits, with Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) announcing that she will be running for governor instead of defending her seat.

If I sound worried, I am, as Ernst would have been an easy winner in this election, but now money and resources will have to go to try to win this seat with a fresh candidate in what was already going to be a challenging election. The RNC better bring its A-game to 2026.