Iowa Democratic state Rep. J.D. Scholten on Monday confirmed he would challenge Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, in 2026, pointing to the Republican's remarks that appeared to downplay constituent concerns over cuts to Medicaid.

“We’re taking them off [Medicaid], so billionaires can have a second yacht, so they can have a bigger tax break,” Scholten told Politico. “We have a system that’s geared towards and favors billionaires and huge multinational corporations, and that’s not working for most of Iowa.”

Scholten's remarks referenced Ernst's comment that "we're all going to die" during a town hall when pressed on the impact Republican-led legislation might have on Medicaid. He insisted that the comment had "disrespected" Iowans and that "now's the time" for him to run.

Ernst first won election to the Senate in 2014 and is in her second term.