The 2026 midterm elections are still more than a year away, but Iowa Republican Sen. Joni Ernst is already facing heat — and challengers. State Rep. J.D. Scholten announced Monday, June 2, that he will run for Ernst’s seat, just days after a controversial moment at one of her town halls made national headlines.
What happened at the town hall?
During a town hall on Friday night, May 30, at a high school in Parkersburg, Iowa, Ernst was asked about proposed cuts to Medicaid and food assistance programs. When an attendee shouted, “People will die,” Ernst replied, “We’re all going to die.”
The remark quickly went viral, sparking backlash across social media and national news outlets.
How did she respond to the resulting criticism?
The next day, Ernst posted a video to Instagram, filmed in a cemetery, where she delivered a sarcastic apology.
“I made an incorrect assumption that everyone in the auditorium understood that, yes, we are all going to perish from this earth. So I apologize and I’m really glad that I did not have to bring up the subject of the tooth fairy as well,” Ernst said.
The video added fuel to the controversy, with critics accusing Ernst of trivializing life-or-death issues tied to health care access.
Who is J.D. Scholten?
Scholten, a Democrat and former minor league baseball pitcher from Sioux City, Iowa, said he felt compelled to run after Ernst’s comments. In his announcement video, he said Iowa deserves leaders who take people’s lives seriously.
The Sioux City native has twice failed in an effort to make it to Washington. He lost in 2018 to incumbent Republican Rep. Steve King.
He lost again in 2020 to Randy Feenstra, who defeated King in the GOP primary. Voters later elected Scholten to the Iowa House in 2022 and again in 2024.
What’s at stake in the 2026 midterms?
Ernst is one of 35 U.S. Senators up for re-election in 2026, 22 of whom are Republicans. With the GOP currently holding a 53-47 Senate majority, Democrats would need to flip four seats in 2026 to retake control of the chamber.
Medicaid is likely to be a central issue nationally and in Iowa’s Senate race as President Donald Trump’s “Big Beautiful Spending Bill” advances through Congress. The House passed the package, which includes hundreds of billions in proposed cuts to Medicaid and adds work or volunteer requirements for nondisabled recipients.
At the town hall, Ernst defended the bill, saying it would protect those “who are most vulnerable” and that those who meet Medicaid eligibility “will be protected.”
In addition to Scholten, KCCI reports that Democratic state Rep. Nathan Sage of Mason City, Iowa, also plans to run for Senate in 2026. The Democratic primary in Iowa is expected to intensify in the coming months as more candidates assess the political implications of Ernst’s remarks and the broader debate over Medicaid.
contributed to this report.
