Iowa Republican Ernst Expected Not to Seek Reelection to Senate

Iowa Republican US Senator Joni Ernst is expected to announce in the coming days she won’t seek reelection, according to people familiar with her plans, opening up a Senate seat that could determine which party controls the majority.

Ernst, a 55-year-old combat veteran, was passed over by her party for the third-ranking Senate leadership slot this year and angered the party’s base for her initial reluctance to back the nomination of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. She also came under fire from the progressive left for her flip response to worries about the health-care impact of Republican cuts to Medicaid, ...