Senator Joni Ernst.

Senator Joni Ernst.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is joining other Republicans in saying she will support Donald Trump if he is the presidential nominee of the Republican party. Ernst was asked about Trump today in her weekly conference call with reporters.

“Once a nominee is named, I am going to be supporting our Republican nominee,” Ernst says. Ernst introduced Marco Rubio at a campaign event prior to the Iowa Caucuses, but said it was not an endorsement of Rubio, and reiterated her stance today that she will not endorse a candidate prior to the convention.

“My viewpoint is we need smaller government, we need efficient government. We have 19 trillion dollars of debt and I believe the candidates on the Republican ticket are those that support efforts in….sustaining and working with our budget, making sure we are not growing it excessively,” Ernst says. “So, whoever that nominee is on that Republican ticket, I am going to be supporting that nominee.”

Ernst was asked why she thinks Trump would follow through and be the candidate for more efficient government that she wants. She says all of the candidates have released statements supporting those ideas throughout the process. “And so, the proof will be in the pudding. We hear a lot of talk from both sides,” Ernst says. “And I do believe once we have that nominee we will be able to work on effective policies for in his words ‘Making America Great Again.’ Until we actually have a nominee, I am going to remain neutral in that process.”

There is talk that there could be what’s called a brokered convention — where no Republican has a majority of delegates to win on the first vote — and there would then be a fight for delegates. Ernst doesn’t think that will happen.

“No, I don’t at this point, I think the American people are going in record numbers — at least on the Republican side — because people are very excited at the opportunity that this election presents,” Ernst says. “So, the American people are speaking out and we will see what the number of delegates will be before we go to that nominating convention.” Ernst is from Red Oak and in her first term in the U.S. Senate.

Republican Congressman Steve King says he’ll support Donald Trump if Trump winds up being the GOP’s 2016 presidential nominee, even though he has endorsed Ted Cruz.