Ernst, Joni (1970-…), became a United States senator in 2015. She was the first female veteran to serve in the U.S. Senate. Ernst, a Republican , represents Iowa . Prior to her election to the Senate , Ernst had served in the Iowa Senate and held government positions in Montgomery County, Iowa. She also has served for many years in the U.S. Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard .
Joni Kay Culver was born in Red Oak, Iowa, on July 1, 1970. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Iowa State University in 1992. Also in 1992, Ernst joined the U.S. Army Reserves. She later transferred to the Iowa Army National Guard. In 1995, she received a master’s degree in public administration from Columbus College (later Columbus State University) in Georgia. She married Gail Ernst, a retired U.S. Army Ranger, in 1992. The couple divorced in 2019.
Joni Ernst held a variety of jobs after receiving her master’s degree. From 2001 to 2003, she served as Montgomery County’s emergency coordinator. She was elected Montgomery County auditor in 2004 and was reelected in 2008. She also served as a company commander in Kuwait and southern Iraq during the Iraq War (2003-2011). In 2011, Ernst won a special election to the Iowa state Senate. She was reelected in 2012.
In 2014, Ernst defeated Democrat Bruce Braley to win election to the U.S. Senate. During the campaign, Ernst favored policies to cut taxes, eliminate the Environmental Protection Agency, and curtail other government programs. She took strong positions against gun control, abortion, and the health insurance reform law popularly known as “ Obamacare .” At the time of her election to the U.S. Senate, Ernst was a lieutenant colonel in the Iowa Army National Guard. As a senator, Ernst has served on the committees on agriculture, nutrition and forestry; armed services; environment and public works; the judiciary; and small business and entrepreneurship. She won reelection in 2020.
