U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) has decided not to seek reelection.

The Republican senator, according to Fox News, was up for reelection in the 2026 Midterm Elections.

It appears, however, that the people of Iowa will now have to find a different person to represent them in the U.S. Senate.

BREAKING: Republican US Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa will reportedly not seek reelection.

This comes after many devastating polls show that Republicans are slipping in Iowa. pic.twitter.com/KPiDM8fbzs

— Ed Krassenstein (@EdKrassen) August 29, 2025

The announcement is imminent

Before going any further, it is worth noting that, at the time of this writing, Ernst herself has yet to officially announce that she will not seek reelection in 2026.

Instead, the news of her decision comes from a report from CNN that is based on anonymous sources.

The outlet writes:

Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst has decided not to seek reelection to a third term, two people familiar with the decision say, and is poised to make an announcement next week. Ernst, 55, has been wrestling with the decision for months, but began telling friends in recent days.

The big question, of course, is "why now?" Admittedly, we do not have the answer. Context, however may provide the missing piece of the puzzle.

The New York Post reports:

Earlier this year, Ernst ignited a rage amongst President Trump’s supporters after signaling that she was hesitant to support Pete Hegseth’s nomination to lead the Department of Defense – after the former Fox News host was criticized for past comments about women serving in combat roles and allegations of sexual assault, which Hegseth vehemently denied.

What now?

Assuming that the above reporting is accurate and that Ernst really is forgoing reelection, this is a big deal, as Republicans only have a slim majority in the U.S. Senate. The question, of course, is whether Republicans will be able to hold Ernst's seat.

Just the News provides an overview of how things are shaping up.

"Upon Ernst's retirement, there will be an open Senate seat in Iowa. Rep. Ashley Hinson is preparing to jump into the race, according to one GOP official," the outlet reports.

The outlet adds, "Democrats have already jumped into the Senate primary race, including Iowa state Rep. Josh Turek, state Sen. Zach Wahls, Knoxville Chamber of Commerce executive director Nathan Sage, and Des Moines School Board chair Jackie Norris."

Ernst has been in the Senate since 2014. She was mainly elected for her economic positions.