Joni Ernst was born in Red Oak, Iowa, and grew up on a farm. She earned a degree from Iowa State University and a master's degree from Columbus College, then served in the Iowa Army National Guard for over two decades, including a deployment to Kuwait during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Ernst served in the Iowa State Senate before being elected to the U.S. Senate in 2014, becoming the first female combat veteran elected to the Senate and the first woman elected to federal office from Iowa.
Ernst serves on the Senate Armed Services Committee and the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, where she is a senior member. She has been a prominent advocate for military families, veterans' health care, and government spending reduction. Ernst chairs the Senate Republican Policy Committee and has focused on cutting wasteful federal programs, strengthening the military, and supporting agriculture and rural communities in Iowa.