Senator Ernst, Ambassador Terry Branstad and Senator Grassley in Washington in June.
Iowa Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican from Red Oak, says there is no doubt she will seek a second term in 2020.
Ernst says, “I am running again, so to anyone who would like to step up and enter into that race, I say ‘bring it on.'” Ernst became the first woman elected to Congress from Iowa in 2014 when she defeated then Congressman Bruce Braley for the Senate seat left open by the retirement of Tom Harkin.
“I love Iowa, I love the people of Iowa,” Ernst says, “we have of course I believe the best people in the national — and I am very proud to represent them. So, I am very excited about the opportunities coming up in 2020.”
Ernst says she will join her fellow Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and support President Donald Trump in 2020. “He is our sitting president and I do believe his policies are working for the United States. We have seen significant growth in our economy — and if you ask folks out there what is the number on issue — most Iowans’ typically state that it is the economy,” according to Ernst.
Trump is likely to face a challenge within the Republican Party, and Ernst says she would agree with Grassley and not campaign with them if they come to Iowa. “We have seen an incredibly accessible president to the likes that I did not see from the former administration,” Ernst says. “So I think that we have a solid path forward with President Trump. I think his policies, if you focus on those policies, a lot of Iowans support those. So, I wouldn’t welcome any other contenders.”
Ernst was elected last month as vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference. She now ranks sixth on the leadership roster for Senate Republicans. She’s the first woman to be elected to Senate GOP leadership since 2010. Senator Grassley’s term ends in 2022. He says he is undecided about seeking another six-year term, as he would be 89