U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa was defeated Wednesday in her bid to become chair of the Senate Republican Conference, losing to U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
As a result, Ernst, who previously chaired the Senate Policy Committee, no longer has a role on the Senate leadership team.
But Ernst congratulated Cotton and the rest of the leadership team in a post on the social media website X.
“The @SenateGOP majority is ready to advance President Trump’s agenda and fulfill our mandate from the American people,” she wrote. “Let’s get to work!
Ernst was also floated as a possible choice to lead the Pentagon as US Defense Secretary under newly elected President Donald Trump.
Brianne Pfannenstiel is the Des Moines Register’s chief politics reporter. She also covers the 2024 presidential race for USA TODAY as a senior national campaign correspondent. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR.
This article originally appeared in the Des Moines Register: Iowa Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst defeated in Senate leadership race
