IOWA — On Monday night former Democratic State Representative Bob Krause announced he would be running for US Senate after originally announcing his candidacy for Iowa’s First Congressional District.

The announcement comes roughly a week after reports came out claiming that current Senator Joni Ernst would not be seeking reelection in 2026. Krause said in a statement that those reports are what drove him to run for US Senate as a Democrat again. He previously ran for the same senate seat in 2010, 2016, and 2021, but lost.

“Senator Ernst’s withdrawal from the Republican Senate Race was a card that was not previously on the table, and I now endorse Christina Bohannon to be the Democratic nominee in Iowa’s First District. I have run for the US Senate before and have many friends across the state and believe this will be a better fit for an ultimate victory,” Krause said.

Krause joins a growing list of candidates for the senate seat. The democratic candidates include Des Moines School Board Member Jackie Norris, State Representative Josh Turek, State Senator Zach Wahls, and Nathan Sage, while the republican candidates include State Senator Jim Carlin and Joshua Smith.

Sen. Ernst has not yet officially announced if she will seek another term.