Joni Kay Ernst (née Culver; born July 1, 1970) is an American politician. She has been Iowa's U.S. Senator since 2015. She is a Republican. Prior to being a U.S. Senator, she was an Iowa state senator.
On November 4, 2014, she was elected to the United States Senate. Ernst is the first woman to represent Iowa in the United States Congress.
Ernst was born in Red Oak, Iowa.