Iowa U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst is serving her second, six-year term representing Iowa in the U.S. Senate and is up for re-election in 2026. She has not formally launched a re-election campaign, but her announcement Wednesday of a campaign manager sends a clear signal that the Republican incumbent is building an operation to run for a third term.

Three days after Sen. Joni Ernst responded to a constituent’s concerns about potential Medicaid cuts by saying, “We’re all going to die,” the Iowa Republican drew a high-profile Democratic opponent. State Rep.