Joni Ernst

Joni Ernst was born in Red Oak, Iowa, in 1970. She earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from Iowa State University in 1992 and an MPA from Columbus State University in 1995. Ernst served in the U.S. Army from 1993 to 2001 and in the Iowa Army National Guard from 2001 to 2015. Ernst served as Montgomery County auditor from 2005 to 2011 and the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2014.[2][3][4]

Joni Ernst did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2026 Candidate Connection survey.

Joni Ernst did not complete [the profile publisher]'s 2020 Candidate Connection survey.

Campaign website

Ernst's campaign website stated the following:

Making 'Em Squeal

The national debt exceeds $22 trillion. Government fails to produce mandatory audits. Congress skips town without finishing its work. Enough is enough.

Iowans work hard for their earnings and to balance their budgets. They expect the same from Congress. Washington must be held accountable for the years of negligence, reckless spending and mismanagement.

That’s why Joni challenges the status quo and is making Washington squeal. Already, Joni has taken on the establishment and leads the fight to cut government waste, including eliminating perks for Washington insiders.

Joni is Making ‘Em Squeal in Washington:

Successfully got her SQUEAL Act signed into law which cut a tax break Members of Congress received for living expenses.

Fighting to cut some of the taxpayer funded perks for ex-presidents.

Demanding Congress skips vacation and does its job, including passing a desperately needed budget. Iowans do not go on vacation until their work is finished and they expect the same hard work from Washington.

Held the Department of Defense accountable and demanded an audit until they produced the first ever.

Advocating for a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution to force Washington to stop the reckless spending and live within its means.

Growing Our Rural Economy

Growing up on her family’s farm, Joni learned firsthand the importance of Iowa’s agricultural economy, which feeds and fuels the world.

Today, as Joni travels across Iowa on her 99 county tour, she meets with farmers, small businesses, medical professionals and manufacturers to hear about the opportunities and obstacles they face. Joni shares these stories and feedback with her Democratic and Republican colleagues in the Senate and works to find commonsense solutions that will continue to strengthen our economy, especially in rural Iowa.

Joni fights to continue to help Iowa’s economy grow – meaning an influx of even more businesses to the state and a resulting increase in jobs. By ensuring markets remain open to exports for Iowa goods and promoting innovation that makes Iowa more competitive in today’s global marketplace, Iowa will continue its current upward economic and job growth trajectory.

Joni’s Work to Enhance our Rural Economy:

Eliminating harmful rules and regulations that hamstring Iowa’s economy, including Obama’s Waters of the United States (WOTUS) rule which would have regulated about 97 percent of land in Iowa.

Fighting for a level playing field for farmers when it comes to trade.

Defending the Renewable Fuel Standard (RFS) and securing a new commitment to sell E15 year-round and help lower the price at the pump.

Identifying solutions for affordable, quality health care for Iowans.

Providing greater, more immediate access to mental health care.

Improving access to broadband in rural Iowa.

Preserving, protecting and strengthening Social Security and Medicare for our seniors of today and tomorrow.

Keeping America Safe and Secure

When politicians talk about “boots on the ground,” Joni Ernst knows what that means because they were her boots and those of her fellow soldiers in a combat zone. She understands the threats we face and has the judgement and know-how to keep America safe and strong.

Joni has dedicated her life to working on issues critical to our national security, ensuring our men and women in uniform are cared for, and helping veterans receive the benefits they deserve.

Joni’s Life’s Work to Keep America Strong:

Ensuring our military has the resources needed to protect our freedoms.

Using her leadership post on the Armed Service Committee, Joni works to strengthen our relationships with our allies and identify threats from our enemies.

Advocating for increased border security to keep our Iowa communities – and the rest of the United States – safe from harm.

Fighting as hard for veterans, and their families, as they have fought for us. That means caring for wounded warriors, streamlining the VA benefit system, improving veteran education and job training programs, and accounting for all military personnel, from every avenue, to ensure no soldier, sailor, airmen, marine or coastguardsmen is ever left behind.

Defending Life and Liberty

As a mom, soldier and lifelong Iowan, Joni takes seriously her responsibility to protect our values of life and liberty. When many in Washington show blatant disregard for the unborn, our Second Amendment right, and our Constitution, Joni does not hold back.

Through her service, Joni has unequivocally defended our state motto “our liberties we prize, and our rights we will maintain.” That’s why she is taking a stand to stop liberal elites from destroying a key part of what makes us who we are.

Joni’s Commitment to Our Values:

Leading efforts to eliminate taxpayer dollars from going to the nation’s largest provider of abortions.

Standing up to block Democrats from preventing care for babies who survive an abortion attempt.

Protecting and defending Iowans’ Second Amendment right to keep and bear arms.

Fighting to restore the limited government, Constitutional principles outlined by our Founding Fathers at the birth of our nation. This means respecting the important balance between government responsibility, and individual liberty, that make our democracy the greatest nation mankind has ever known.

Bold Generational Change

For years, we’ve heard politicians make one empty promise after another, failing to deliver.

As the first woman elected to federal office in Iowa, the first female combat veteran, and now one of the first Republican women to serve on the Judiciary Committee, Joni is an independent voice for Iowa, who works across the aisle to challenge and change the out-of-touch ways of Washington.

Joni’s Efforts to Bring Forward Real Reform:

Putting forward a budget-neutral paid family leave proposal so parents can spend the critical time with their child.

Working on solutions with Democrats and Republicans to change the culture and eradicate sexual assault in the military, on college campuses and more.

Fighting to help put an end to human trafficking and assist survivors.

[18]

—Joni Ernst's campaign website (2020)[19]

Ernst's campaign website listed the following issues:

Creating Jobs: Joni supports pro-growth tax and economic policies that will unleash the full potential of America’s free market economy and create new, better paying jobs so that more of our neighbors have jobs to go to each day in order to support their families. Joni believes the free market is the greatest job creating machine ever built, but only when the government gets out of the way. She supports rolling back Washington-created job-killing regulations that are crushing small business.

Real and Meaningful Health Care Reform: Joni is staunchly opposed to the Obamacare law. Joni supports immediate action to repeal Obamacare and replace it with common sense, free-market alternatives that put patients first, and health care decisions back in the hands of each of us rather than Washington bureaucrats.

Keeping America Strong in the World: Joni believes in a strong national defense because she knows the world is a safer place when America is the strongest nation on the planet. She believes that military readiness cannot be allowed to fall victim to Washington politics or bureaucratic maneuvering. Joni also believes that American foreign policy must be consistent and strong – never giving our enemies hesitation as to America’s resolve to defend herself and her interests across the globe, whether by diplomatic means or use of force.[18]

Ernst's 2011 special election Campaign site listed several key policy positions and campaign themes:

Eliminate Wasteful Spending

Create Jobs on Main Street

Reduce Property Taxes