Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is hosting her annual motorcycle ride and pig roast tomorrow. “My final ‘Roast and Ride’ here in Des Moines, Iowa,” Ernst said last month, shortly after announcing she would not seek reelection in 2026.
Ernst has started to reminisce about her career and tomorrow she’s likely to mention her she rose through the ranks of the Iowa National Guard and served as Montgomery County Auditor and a state senator before her election to the U.S. Senate in 2014. “Thirty-three years I’ve given of my life in service to our nation, both in uniform and then in public service throughout local elected office, state elected office and federal elected office,” Ernst said September 20, “and I tell every step of this journey it has been an absolute privilege. I do not take it for granted.”
Her first “Roast and Ride” fundraiser was in 2015 and the annual event has showcased a string of GOP candidates running for president. In 2016, Donald Trump was the keynote speaker. In 2017 and 2023 Mike Pence road motorcycles. Entry fees for the morning ride through the countryside have been donated to veteran’s charities and Ernst has chosen the Blue Star Mothers of Iowa as the beneficiary this year.
“They are now supporting through care packages all of our deployed National Guardsmen,” Ernst said, “and we have 1800 that are deployed, so they will be sending individual care packages to each one of those service members overseas at the holiday time, so think about Christmas and individual packages for our loved ones.”
Tickets for the pig roast had raised money for her campaign until 2023, but are now free. A super PAC called Mission Iowa pays for the meals and other set up costs for the afternoon’s political rally. U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem will be the keynote speaker.