Iowa US Senate candidate ends bid to run against Republican incumbent Joni Ernst

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — An Iowa Democratic state lawmaker bowed out of the 2026 U.S. Senate primary race on Monday and endorsed a fellow legislator as the “best hope” to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, who has yet to formally announce her bid for a third term.

Rep. J.D. Scholten said in a statement he was suspending his campaign and endorsing Democratic Rep. Josh Turek, who launched his campaign last week. Both represent districts in counties that overwhelmingly supported Donald Trump in 2024.

Turek joined a crowded primary field that includes state Sen. Zach Wahls, who on Monday announced the endorsement of a northeast Iowa iron workers union; Nathan Sage, a former chamber of commerce president; and Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris.

Eyes remain on Ernst as Republicans encountered early headaches in some of the 2026 races that will be pivotal to maintaining the party’s Senate majority, including a contentious GOP primary in Texas and a surprise retirement announcement by two-term Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina.

After flipping pork chops last week at the Iowa State Fair, Ernst told reporters that she’d make an announcement on her own 2026 intentions in the next several weeks, adding, “I’ve got a lot more work to do.”

In a reelection bid, Ernst would face GOP primary challengers who include former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Navy veteran Joshua Smith.

Of her Democratic competitors, Ernst said “good for them.”

“When we see those Democrats getting in, what they’re trying to do is get their name out there, but they cannot deny the fabulous agenda that President Trump has,” Ernst said. “Glad they’re engaging but, you know what, they’re not going to stand a chance.”

Ernst announced a campaign manager in June, an October date for her annual fundraiser and has raised just shy of $1.8 million in the first half of the year. A former Army National Guard member and a retired lieutenant colonel, she was first elected to an open Senate seat in 2014.

She served for several years in the No. 3 spot in the Senate GOP leadership and was considered a vice presidential contender for Trump’s first White House run. She’s since faced some backlash from Trump supporters, including earlier this year after signaling a hesitance to support Trump’s pick for defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.

Democrats meanwhile are capitalizing on a retort Ernst made about Medicaid cuts at a town hall in May. As Ernst explained that the legislation protects Medicaid for those who need it most, someone in the crowd yelled that people will die without coverage. Ernst responded: “People are not … well, we all are going to die.”