Joni Ernst represents Iowa in the U.S. Senate, having first been elected in 2014. She serves on the Armed Services Committee, Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee. Prior to her Senate service, Ernst served in the Iowa State Senate and is a military veteran who served in the Iowa Army National Guard, including deployment to Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Name

Joni Ernst

Party

Republican

State

Iowa

Committees

Governmental Operations and Border Management Subcommittee, Cybersecurity Subcommittee, Personnel Subcommittee

Key Fact 1

Joni Ernst became the first woman elected to federal office from Iowa when she won her Senate seat in 2014.

Key Fact 2

She served over 23 years in the military, retiring as a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard.

Key Fact 3

Ernst serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee, where she focuses on military readiness and national defense issues.

Key Fact 4

She is a member of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, addressing issues relevant to Iowa's agricultural economy.

Key Fact 5

Prior to her Senate service, Ernst served as Montgomery County Auditor and in the Iowa State Senate from 2011 to 2014.

Key Fact 6

She sits on multiple subcommittees including Emerging Threats and Capabilities, Cybersecurity, and Rural Development and Energy.

Key Fact 7

Ernst serves on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where she addresses border management and government operations issues.

Key Fact 8

She was re-elected to the Senate in 2020.

Data from Congress.gov