Joni Ernst — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as the junior United States Senator from Iowa since 2015.
Chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee from 2023 to 2025.
Retired as a lieutenant colonel from the Iowa Army National Guard in 2015 after 23 years of service.
Served as commanding officer of the 1168th Transportation Company in Kuwait during the Iraq War.
Called for reforms to Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security during her Senate tenure.
Served in the Iowa State Senate from 2011 to 2014 and as auditor of Montgomery County from 2005 to 2011.

Biography

Joni Kay Ernst is an American politician and retired military officer who has served as the junior United States Senator from Iowa since 2015. A member of the Republican Party, she was reelected in 2020. From 2023 to 2025, Ernst served as chair of the Senate Republican Policy Committee, holding the position of fourth-ranking Republican in the Senate. She announced in September 2025 that she would not seek reelection in 2026.