Overview

• Multiple outlets report Ernst will announce her decision next week, with CBS saying Thursday, and her office did not comment.
• People familiar with her plans say she intended to serve two terms and now plans to move to the private sector.
• The decision creates an open race for Iowa’s Senate seat, with Democrats Zach Wahls, Josh Turek, Jackie Norris and Nathan Sage already declared.
• Republicans are weighing prospects, with Rep. Ashley Hinson considering a run and Matt Whitaker also in the mix, and the seat had been rated Likely Republican before the news.
• Ernst faced recent headwinds, including criticism over a Medicaid town-hall comment and negative reporting, alongside campaign signals such as delaying her annual fundraiser and posting her weakest quarterly haul of the cycle.