Republicans panicking as GOP senator in competitive race considers retirement
U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) holds a press conference following the GOP weekly policy lunch on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 9, 2025. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon
Republican senators are increasingly on edge as whispers circulate that Iowa’s Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) may bow out before the 2026 Senate elections. Though she has taken early campaign steps — such as hiring a manager and setting up her fall fundraiser — internal GOP sources say many of her colleagues fear she’ll opt not to run, creating another seat Republicans will have to fiercely defend, Politico reported Thursday.
Party leaders and strategists are closely monitoring her fundraising report next week. Ernst pulled in just over $1 million in Q1 2025— a respectable haul, but not overwhelming for an incumbent in a competitive race, per the report.
Ernst’s spokesperson sidestepped decisiveness, emphasizing her Senate work: “making Washington ‘squeal,’ making President Trump’s historic tax cuts permanent… and advancing a strong [National Defense Authorization Act].”
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According to the report, lawmakers say Ernst has privately admitted she is still weighing her decision.
Ernst recently sparked backlash when she brushed off constituents' concerns about Medicaid cuts during an Iowa town hall with the remark, “Well, we are all going to die," alarming GOP strategists.
Ernst would be the fourth Senate Republican to exit before the 2026 cycle — joining Sens. Thom Tillis (R‑N.C.), Mitch McConnell (R‑Ky), and Tommy Tuberville (R‑Ala.), who is instead pursuing the Alabama governorship.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑S.D.) told Politico that he’s “doing everything I can to encourage her to run for reelection.” He added: “Ultimately that’s a decision she’d have to make,” but affirmed, “I think she’s moving forward.”
Writer Peter Twinklage reacted to the news and said on the social platform X: "She made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the Senate understood that, yes, political careers are all going to eventually perish."
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Journalist Michael McGough wrote: “'We are all going to die' isn’t a great re-election campaign slogan."
Election analyst Drew Savicki wrote: "This time of year is historically when retirements start picking up..."
