Joni Ernst
RepublicanU.S. Senator, IA| Age | 55 (b. 1970-07-01) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2015-01-06 (~11 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | White |
| Religion | Lutheran (Evangelical Lutheran Church in America) |
| Education | B.S. in Psychology, Iowa State University (1992); M.P.A. (Justice Administration), Columbus State University (1995) |
| Prior occupation | U.S. Army / Iowa Army National Guard officer; Montgomery County Auditor |
| Military service | Yes: U.S. Army Reserve and Iowa Army National Guard (Lieutenant Colonel) |
| Birthplace | Red Oak, Iowa |
| Marital status | Divorced — Gail Ernst (married 1992, divorced January 2019) |
| Children | 1 |
| Residence | Red Oak, Iowa |
Pending research: languages · notable relatives · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2014 |
| Previous offices | Montgomery County (Iowa) Auditor (2005-2011) · Iowa State Senate, District 12 (2011-2014) |
| Committees | Senate Committee on Armed Services · Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry · Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (Chair) |
| Caucuses | Senate Taiwan Caucus · Republican Main Street Partnership · Congressional Motorcycle Caucus |
| Leadership | Chair, Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship (2025-present) · Chair, Senate Republican Policy Committee (2023-2025) · Vice Chair, Senate Republican Conference (2019-2023) |
| Ideology | Conservative Republican; rated as one of the more conservative members of the Senate. Heritage Action scorecard 94% (119th Congress). |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $-156,963–$544,999 (2023) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Berkshire Hathaway ($102,058 (2020 cycle))
Top industries: Agribusiness (Dairy, Farm bureaus, Meat processing) · Republican/Conservative leadership PACs · Anti-abortion groups · Business associations · Savings & Loans
Scandals & crimes ledger
resolved — FEC Civil Penalty for Excessive and Prohibited Campaign Contributions (2014 Senate Race)
The FEC found that Joni for Iowa, Ernst's 2014 Senate campaign committee (treasurer Cabell Hobbs), knowingly accepted $37,190 in excessive and prohibited contributions from 32 entities including three corporations, failed to timely refund them, and inaccurately reported debts. The Commission voted 5-0 to accept a conciliation agreement in November 2016; the $14,500 civil penalty — the largest FEC fine ever levied against an Iowa politician — was paid in October 2017. The campaign blamed a vendor it subsequently fired for contribution-aggregation errors.