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.
Wahls said he is running for U.S. Senate because he wants to help Iowa families who are working hard but not getting ahead. He said he made the decision after discussing it with his wife for several months.
“We thought really hard about what we could do and where we could make a big difference,” Wahls said. “And we decided that there are so many challenges that are facing our state right now, and so many of them are coming from Washington, we’d rather be in the fight than on the sidelines.”
Wahls, who lives in Coralville, was first elected to the Iowa Senate in 2018, and he served as Senate Democratic Leader for over two years.
He said becoming a parent recently — he has a 14-month-old son named Eli — has given him a new perspective on how important the decisions made in Iowa and Washington, D.C., are for families.
“We just want to make sure that Eli has the same opportunities that I was fortunate enough to enjoy growing up here in Iowa,” Wahls said. “And, you know, that’s not going to happen unless we can get some change in D.C.”
Wahls said Iowans should vote for him because he is the only candidate who has stood up to “the establishment.”
“I don’t really think this race is as much about left versus right, so much as those of us who are outsiders taking on insiders,” he said. “I’ve been willing to challenge my own party when necessary. I think Iowans are looking for someone who’s actually willing to do the job of putting Iowans first, and I have a track record of doing that.”
Wahls was ousted from his position as Iowa Senate Democratic Leader after he fired and replaced long-time staffers in an effort to take Senate Democrats in a new direction. He said he was willing to fight for his vision of what the Democratic Party needed to do to be competitive in Iowa.
When Wahls was 19 years old, he got national attention for testifying in support of same-sex marriage in the Iowa House of Representatives and sharing his experience of having two moms. He said that viral speech is part of his record of fighting for Iowans.
“My promise to Iowans is that I’ll always fight as hard for your family, the same way that I fought for mine,” Wahls said.
What are Wahl's top priorities as a candidate?
He said the economy is the number one issue in this campaign. Wahls said he wants to tackle the high cost of living and corporate consolidation.
Improving Iowa’s health care and education systems would also be priorities, he said, including preventing cuts to Medicaid, investing in rural health care, funding public schools and providing oversight of private schools.
Wahls said he also wants to push for term limits and lessen the influence of money in politics. He said he saw the impact of campaign donations firsthand when he was part of a bipartisan effort to establish protections for Iowans who live in mobile homes. That bill ultimately failed to pass.
“That was obviously an early education for me about the influence of money in our politics, and that’s a huge part of why we need to fundamentally transform our political system to make sure that everyday people who are working hard and trying to get by have an equal voice in Washington,” Wahls said.
Two other Democrats — state Rep. J.D. Scholten of Sioux City and Knoxville Chamber of Commerce Director Nathan Sage — have announced they are running for Ernst’s seat.
Des Moines School Board Chair Jackie Norris said she is seriously considering running for the U.S. Senate as a Democrat. State Rep. Josh Turek of Council Bluffs has also said he is considering a campaign for Senate.
Republican Party of Iowa Co-Chair Linda Upmeyer said Wahls is joining a list of "soon-to-be-retired liberal politicians."
"During his forgettable time in the Iowa Senate, Zach Wahls made a name for himself as an extreme liberal activist championing out-of-touch policies including: high taxes, open borders, and letting biological men play in women's sports," she said in a statement Wednesday. "But above all else, he has always been more interested in chasing headlines than listening to Iowans. Wahls is no match for Joni Ernst's record of delivering real results for Iowa farmers, families, and small businesses."
Ernst has not officially announced her reelection campaign, but she recently hired a campaign manager. Former state Sen. Jim Carlin and Joshua Smith of Indianola are challenging Ernst for the GOP nomination.
