Statewide Iowa — (RI) — Iowans elected Joni Ernst to the U.S. Senate in 2014 and her GOP colleagues have just elected her vice chair of the Senate Republican Conference.
It’s the first time since 2010 that a woman has been elected by her fellow Republicans to serve in a leadership role in the senate.
As vice chair, Ernst will be a leading messenger for the GOP agenda in the senate. In addition, she’ll be a liaison between rank-and-file members of the senate and the top GOP leaders.
Ernst was elected Wednesday during a private meeting of the Republicans who’ll be serving in the U.S. Senate in January. Ernst told the group she is a “fierce competitor.”
Ernst says as a result, she may be better than her male colleagues at connecting with key constituencies.
Ernst indicated she’ll use her new role to push Iowa-specific issues.
Ernst is likely to be seeking re-election to the U.S. Senate in 2020 and this new position will give her a more visible national profile.
Republican Chuck Grassley, the other U.S. Senator from Iowa, will be the Republican with the longest tenure when the Senate convenes in January. Grassley will become the Senate President Pro Tempore because of that seniority. As senate president pro tem, Grassley will be third in the line of presidential succession, behind the vice president and the speaker of the U.S. House.
