The 2026 United States Senate election in Iowa will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of Iowa. Primary elections will be held on June 2, 2026. Two-term Republican Senator Joni Ernst, who was re-elected in 2020 with 51.8% of the vote, declined to seek a third term in office.
Since voting for President Barack Obama in both 2008 and 2012, Iowa has trended increasingly Republican and is now considered a moderately to strongly red state at the federal and state level. Republican nominee Donald Trump won Iowa in 2020 by 8 percentage points, and in 2024 grew his margin to 13 percentage points. Republicans control every statewide executive office (except the state auditor's office), majorities in both chambers of the state legislature, and the entire congressional delegation.
Senator Joni Ernst was first elected in the red wave of 2014, defeating U.S. Representative Bruce Braley by about 8 percentage points. She was re-elected in 2020 defeating Theresa Greenfield by 6.5 percentage points in what was expected to be a dead heat.
In May 2025, Ernst sparked controversy after replying to a constituent upset by thousands of preventable deaths resulting from Medicaid cuts in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act by responding, "Well, we all are going to die" during a town hall in north-central Iowa. She later doubled down on her controversial comment, which many observers criticized as dismissive, in a social media video filmed in a cemetery. Ernst announced in September 2025 that she would not seek reelection.
Italics indicate a declined candidate.
Joni Ernst vs. "Someone Else"
Italics indicate withdrawn candidate
Ashley Hinson vs. Josh Turek<br />
Ashley Hinson vs. Zach Wahls<br />
Ashley Hinson vs. Nathan Sage<br />
Joni Ernst vs. Jackie Norris<br />
Joni Ernst vs. Nathan Sage<br />
Joni Ernst vs. Josh Turek<br />
Joni Ernst vs. Zach Wahls<br />
Joni Ernst vs. Generic Democrat<br />
Partisan clients<br />