Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa has informed confidantes she will not seek a third term in 2026 and intends to announce the decision publicly next Thursday, according to multiple sources cited by CBS News. Ernst, 55, entered the Senate in 2015 after rising to lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard and serving in local and state office. She later became the No. 3 Republican in Senate leadership and a consistent supporter of President Donald Trump’s agenda. Her departure will open a rare GOP-held seat in Iowa and adds to a growing list of Republican retirements that includes Sens. Thom Tillis of North Carolina, Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky. Iowa Democrats already in the race include state Sen. Zach Wahls, state Rep. Josh Turek and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.