{"id":2481505,"date":"2025-09-02T14:12:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-02T18:12:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joni-ernst-announces-retirement-leaving-iowa-senate-seat-open-for-2026\/"},"modified":"2025-09-02T14:12:51","modified_gmt":"2025-09-02T18:12:51","slug":"joni-ernst-announces-retirement-leaving-iowa-senate-seat-open-for-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/joni-ernst-announces-retirement-leaving-iowa-senate-seat-open-for-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Joni Ernst announces retirement, leaving Iowa Senate seat open for 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has announced that she will not seek a third term in the U.S. Senate, ending more than a decade of service in Washington and opening up her Iowa Senate seat for the 2026 election. In a video proclamation, Ernst reflected on her career, highlighting her Iowa farm upbringing, two decades in the Army Reserve and Iowa National Guard, and her time in public office. Elected in 2014 as the frist female combat veteran<\/a> in the Senate, she gained attention with her “make Washington squeal” campaign focused on cutting wasteful government spending-<\/a>a theme she reiterated in her farewell message<\/a>. Ernst described the decision as difficult but necessary to focus on her family. Her retirement substantially impacts Iowa politics, prompting a competitive race to fill her seat, with Democrats aiming to capitalize on this GOP vacancy as they seek to break Republican control in Washington.

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