Joni Ernst Just Got Herself A New Democratic Challenger

Iowa state Rep. J.D. Scholten announced that he will be challenging Sen. Joni Ernst (R) for her Senate seat in part due to her snarky and disrespectful comments about Medicaid cuts.

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It was only a matter of time until Joni Ernst’s sarcastic dismissal of the concern of her constituents that people will die if Medicaid is cut had political consequences.

Sen. Ernst is trying to save her seat by going full MAGA and hoping that there will be no consequences.

One consequence has already come home as state Rep. J.D. Scholten (D-IA) has announced that he will challenge Ernst next year.

The Des Moines Register reported:

In an interview with the Des Moines Register, Scholten said Ernst's comments were "pretty instrumental for me." He said he heard about the remarks while he was on the way to a funeral.

"And just sitting there, contemplating life like you do at a funeral, I just thought I need to do this," he said. "And so then when she doubled down on Saturday with her, I felt, very disrespectful comments, I was like, 'OK, game on.'"

Scholten first made a name for himself by running twice against former Rep. Steve King. Scholten is in his second term in the Iowa state House, and he joins Nathan Sage, director of the Knoxville Chamber of Commerce, as announced candidates for the 2026 Democratic Senate nomination in Iowa.

It was expected that Joni Ernst was relatively safe for reelection before she went full-on death panels MAGA this past weekend.

Democrats would be wise to back the best candidate that they can find against Ernst. Republicans could already be facing a midterm bloodbath in the House and might have to fight to keep the Senate.

Ernst’s seat may not have been a top target for a Democratic pickup before, but it should be after the disastrous weekend that she has had.

What do you think about another Democrat entering the Iowa Senate race? Share your thoughts in the comments below.