Joni Ernst

Political scientists discuss recent headlines, including U.S. Rep. Hinson's run for Senate, another potential government shutdown and more.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst will not run for reelection in 2026, she announced Tuesday in a video message. The Republican from Iowa is serving her second term after she was first elected to the Senate in 2014.

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright praised the Ames National Laboratory during a tour, calling it one of the country’s “premier scientific institutions” and a leader in reshoring critical materials. Wright also said he supports less federal funding for wind and solar, and downplayed findings from government reports about climate change.

U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst highlighted her relationship with President Donald Trump and called on Iowa Republicans to unite behind the party’s candidates in 2026, but she did not say if she's running for reelection.

The number of candidates who want to replace Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst continues to grow. Democratic state Rep. Josh Turek from Council Bluffs says he knows how to win, even when Republicans outnumber Democrats in Iowa.

Starting this October, Iowa's public radio and television stations will operate without the federal support they've had for decades.

As a new Postmaster General with ties to FedEx assumes control of the agency, postal workers and their customers are bracing for either scenario, especially as corporate America weighs in.

Less than a year away from the midterm primaries, new contenders announce their campaigns for governor and Joni Ernst's Senate seat.

Democratic state Sen. Zach Wahls is running to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate in 2026, joining two other Democrats who have launched campaigns to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst.

Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten from northwest Iowa said recent comments by U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst gave him the final push to run for her seat.