Iowa Republican Joni Ernst is seeking the number three leadership position among her GOP peers in the U.S. Senate.
“This is the main communicator job or position for the Republican Conference in the Senate,” Ernst said.
Ernst is currently the fourth-ranking GOP Leader and her title is Senate Republican Policy Committee chair. Her decision to seek a higher rung on the leadership ladder in the next congress comes after Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell announced he would step down as Senate Republican leader at the end of the year. As GOP conference chair, Ernst would help guide the message Republicans present to voters.
“This is a great opportunity for me to communicate what’s going on in middle America. We’re tired of hearing all about the coastal elites,” Ernst said. “It is time to hear directly from folks in Iowa, hear what’s going on on the ground.”
Arkansas Senator Tom Cotton is seeking the same position as Ernst. “It is a competition. It is an election and we have all the way ’til this fall to get our message out,” Ernst said during an interview with KICD Radio. “It is going to be a very long campaign for this leadership position, but I’m up for the challenge.”
Ernst was reelected to a second term in the U.S. Senate in 2020. She has not announced whether she’ll run for reelection in 2026.
(By George Bower, KICD, Spencer)