Iowa State Rep. J.D. Scholten is throwing his hat in the ring to challenge U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) following her controversial remarks at a recent town hall. Ernst sparked outrage when she flippantly responded, "We're all going to die," to constituents voicing concerns over proposed Medicaid cuts.
Scholten, a 45-year-old former professional baseball player, told Politico, "I just felt, you know, I have to do this. Now's the time, and rather than being perfect with everything, I just feel like you got to do it."
The Democrat challenger is no stranger to tough races, having come within striking distance of unseating controversial former Rep. Steve King (R-IA) in 2018. However, Scholten faces an uphill battle in a state that hasn't elected a Democratic senator since 2008 and went for Trump by a 13-point margin in the last election.
Scholten is seizing on what he sees as Republican vulnerability over proposed Medicaid cuts in Trump's "big, beautiful" budget bill. He accused Ernst of disrespecting Iowa residents who rely on the health insurance program, stating, "We're taking [people] off [Medicaid], so billionaires can have a second yacht, so they can have a bigger tax break. We have a system that's geared towards and favors billionaires and huge multinational corporations, and that's not working for most of Iowa."
A New York Times fact check of Trump's budget bill revealed it would slash federal Medicaid spending by at least $600 billion over a decade and cut enrollment by about 10.3 million people. The analysis also found the bill would increase federal deficits by over $1 trillion, even accounting for projected economic growth.
Despite the challenges of courting Trump voters, Scholten remains optimistic about his chances. "I firmly believe that when you get out there to the people, prove you're trustworthy, you're gonna earn votes no matter who the folks are," he told Politico.
As the race heats up, all eyes will be on Iowa to see if Scholten can capitalize on Ernst's gaffe and mounting concerns over Republican-led healthcare cuts to flip this crucial Senate seat.
