ERNST, JONI K
R · senate · currently seated · bioguide E000295
Sign in to add to a watchlist →
- FEC candidate id
S4IA00129- Internal id
4adaa064-72c6-4a14-b7ab-275e2ac81f24- Status
- incumbent
Who this candidate represents (statewide)
Who lives here — American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2024), Iowa. Source.
| Category | Metric | Value |
|---|---|---|
| People | Population | 3,210,507 |
| People | Median age | 39 |
| Income | Median household income | $75,059 |
| Income | Per-capita income | $40,877 |
| Income | In poverty | 11.1% |
| Income | Unemployed | 3.6% |
| Income | Gini inequality index | 0.444 |
| Race | White alone | 84.2% |
| Race | Black alone | 3.9% |
| Race | Asian alone | 2.5% |
| Race | Hispanic or Latino | 7.3% |
| Race | Two or more races | 6.6% |
| Origin | Foreign-born | 5.9% |
| Language | Speaks English only at home | 90.9% |
| Language | Speaks Spanish at home | 4.7% |
| Education | High school or higher | 61.4% |
| Education | Bachelor's or higher | 31.4% |
| Education | Advanced degree | 10.5% |
| Household | Family households | 61.5% |
| Household | Avg household size | 2.36 |
| Household | Never married (15+) | 31.8% |
| Housing | Median home value | $208,000 |
| Housing | Median gross rent | $972 |
| Housing | Single-family detached | 72.2% |
| Housing | Built before 1940 | 4.6% |
| Housing | Overcrowded (>1 per room) | 1.6% |
| Housing | Vacant units | 8.5% |
| Service | Veterans (18+) | 6.5% |
| Health | With a disability | 12.7% |
| Connectivity | Households with broadband | 88.8% |
| Connectivity | Households with no internet | 7.5% |
| Commute | Drove alone | 76.0% |
| Commute | Public transit | 0.7% |
| Commute | Worked from home | 11.3% |
Cycle financials
Source: FEC weball bulk file (cycle summary). Numbers in USD; 0 = no activity reported.
| Cycle | Raised | Spent | Cash on hand | Debts | Indiv. contribs. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $1,997,586 | $2,240,264 | $1,997,165 | $0 | $997,372 |
| 2024 | $2,921,863 | $1,655,756 | $2,239,843 | $0 | $2,020,873 |
| 2022 | $2,035,244 | $1,589,924 | $973,736 | $0 | $1,430,613 |
| 2020 | $27,693,029 | $28,527,764 | $528,415 | $0 | $21,793,213 |
| 2018 | $1,765,599 | $843,336 | $1,363,150 | $0 | $744,713 |
| 2016 | $1,109,368 | $894,689 | $0 | $0 | $352,464 |
| 2014 | $12,011,101 | $11,913,212 | $97,888 | $289,561 | $9,619,298 |
Elections
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2014 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — won
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2020 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
- 2026 general senate · IA-S — running
Committees
- ERNST MAJORITY COMMITTEE — joint_fundraising · type N
- ERNST VICTORY — joint_fundraising · type N
- ERNST VICTORY FUND — joint_fundraising · type N
- ERNST VICTORY IOWA — joint_fundraising · type N
- FLORIDIANS FOR A SENATE MAJORITY — joint_fundraising · type N
- FOUNDERS SENATE CANDIDATE COMMITTEE — joint_fundraising · type N
- FRIENDS OF WINNING WOMEN — joint_fundraising · type H
- IOWA REPUBLICAN PARTY 2014 VICTORY FUND — joint_fundraising · type N
- JONI ERNST NOMINEE FUND — principal · type S
- JONI FOR IOWA — principal · type S
- JONI'S ROAST AND RIDE — joint_fundraising · type N
- MCFADDEN ERNST COTTON SULLIVAN VICTORY FUND (MECS VICTORY FUND) — joint_fundraising · type N
- NEW SENATE MAJORITY 2014 — joint_fundraising · type N
- RECLAIM THE SENATE 2014 — joint_fundraising · type S
- SCOTT ROBERTS GARDNER ERNST VICTORY FUND (SRGE VICTORY FUND) — joint_fundraising · type S
- VICTORY TRUST 2014 — joint_fundraising · type H
- WINNING WOMEN FOR THE US SENATE — joint_fundraising · type S
Recent votes
- 2026-05-14 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 124
YEA on Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-46) - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 123
NAY on SJRES 130 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to withdrawal of the rule relating to "Consumer Financial Protection Circular 2024-05: Improper Overdraft Opt-In Practices". - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 122
NAY on SJRES 141 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Debt Collection Practices (Regulation F); Deceptive and Unfair Collection of Medical Debt". - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 121
NAY on SJRES 132 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection relating to the withdrawal of the rule relating to "Examinations for Risks to Active-Duty Servicemembers and Their Covered Dependents". - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 120
YEA on Nomination Confirmed (54-45) - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 119
YEA on SRES 526 — A resolution withholding the pay of Senators if a Government shutdown occurs. - 2026-05-13 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 118
NAY on SJRES 163 — A joint resolution to direct the removal of United States Armed Forces from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress. - 2026-05-12 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 117
YEA on Cloture Motion Agreed to (51-45) - 2026-05-12 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 116
YEA on Nomination Confirmed (51-45) - 2026-05-11 · Cong. 119 · senate roll 115
YEA on Cloture Motion Agreed to (49-44)
Sponsored & cosponsored bills
- sponsor · 2024-12-05 — S 5429 — REMOTE Act
- cosponsor · 2024-12-04 — S 5062 — Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act
- cosponsor · 2024-05-16 — SRES 694 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2024 as "Renewable Fuels Month" to recognize the important role that renewable fuels play in reducing carbon impacts, lowering fuel prices for consumers, supporting rural communities, and lessening reliance on foreign adversaries.
- cosponsor · 2024-05-01 — SJRES 58 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Energy relating to "Energy Conservation Program: Energy Conservation Standards for Consumer Furnaces".
- cosponsor · 2023-05-04 — S 127 — Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2023
- cosponsor · 2023-01-31 — S 161 — JOBS Act of 2023
Election prediction
Cycle 2026 · model baseline-v1 · base rate 15.1%
P(win) = 99.0%
| Feature | Δ P(win) |
|---|---|
| Base rate (historical) | 15.1% |
| incumbent | +78.0% |
| R (major party) | +10.0% |
| senate race | -2.0% |
Baseline model (incumbency × party × office). Calibration: backtest Brier score is the reference, see npm run db:ingest -- --source=predict-backtest-election. Future model versions must beat baseline Brier on the same held-out cohort or they don't ship.
Independent expenditures
Money spent by super PACs and other non-connected committees for or against this candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E (independent_expenditure CSV bulk).
| Cycle | Support | Oppose | IEs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $0 | $15,476 | 1 |
| 2024 | $10,220 | $0 | 15 |
Recent (latest 25)
| Date | Spender | For / against | Amount | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $781 | PHONEBANK IT/TECH SUPPORT(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $1,669 | PHONEBANK IT/TECH SUPPORT(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $441 | LEADS / PHONE LISTS(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $321 | CAGING AND DATABASE SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $857 | PHONEBANK PAYROLL SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $632 | CAGING AND DATABASE SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $902 | LEADS / PHONE LISTS(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $858 | PHONEBANK IT/TECH SUPPORT(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $464 | LEADS / PHONE LISTS(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $441 | PHONEBANK PAYROLL SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $325 | CAGING AND DATABASE SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $1,035 | PHONEBANK IT/TECH SUPPORT(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $538 | PHONEBANK PAYROLL SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $497 | CAGING AND DATABASE SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| — | UNITED BREAST CANCER SUPPORT PAC | support | $461 | PHONEBANK PAYROLL SERVICES(ESTIMATE) |
| 2025-07-07 | INDIVISIBLE ACTION | oppose | $15,476 | Digital Ads - estimate |
Transfers from committees
Direct contributions from PACs and party committees. Source: FEC pas2 bulk (committee-to-candidate transactions).
Top individual donors (2026 cycle)
Via this candidate's principal committee JONI FOR IOWA.
Aggregated from FEC Schedule A by donor (name + city + state). Employer + occupation reflect the donor's most recent gift. Source: FEC indiv bulk.
| Donor | Employer / occupation | City, ST | Gifts | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| HILES, NANCY | — | GRAND PRAIRIE, TX | 1 | $3,500 |
| KIMMELMAN, DOUGLAS W | — | SUMMIT, NJ | 1 | $3,500 |
| GILLIAM, RICHARD | — | CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA | 1 | $3,500 |
| HEBENSTREIT, JAMES B | — | KANSAS CITY, MO | 1 | $3,500 |
| HUNT, WOODY L | — | EL PASO, TX | 1 | $3,500 |
| FISHER, KENNETH | — | PLANO, TX | 1 | $3,500 |
| GATES, MELINDA F | — | REDMOND, WA | 1 | $3,500 |
| GILLIAM, MARVIN JR | — | BRISTOL, VA | 1 | $3,500 |
| DUHAMEL, WILLIAM F JR | — | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 1 | $3,500 |
| GRANIERI, ROBERT A | — | NEW YORK, NY | 1 | $3,500 |
| FORSYTHE, GERALDINE R | — | NAPLES, FL | 1 | $3,500 |
| CASTLE, JOHN K | — | NEW YORK, NY | 1 | $3,500 |
| CATSIMATIDIS, JOHN A | — | NEW YORK, NY | 1 | $3,500 |
| CAMERON, RONALD M | — | LITTLE ROCK, AR | 1 | $3,500 |
| ANSCHUTZ, PHILIP F | — | DENVER, CO | 1 | $3,500 |
| FRIESE, DONALD | — | CHATSWORTH, CA | 1 | $3,500 |
| CROW, HARLAN R | — | DALLAS, TX | 1 | $3,500 |
| BRADLEY, JACQUELINE | — | KESWICK, VA | 1 | $3,500 |
| BERGSTROM, HANS DR | — | BOCA RATON, FL | 1 | $3,500 |
| ASNESS, LAUREL | — | NEW YORK, NY | 1 | $3,500 |
| DUHAMEL, KATHARINE | — | SAN FRANCISCO, CA | 1 | $3,500 |
| DANIELS, RONALD L | — | WEST DES MOINES, IA | 1 | $3,500 |
| FISHER, SERRILYN | — | PLANO, TX | 1 | $3,500 |
| BODE, JOHN | — | EASTON, MD | 1 | $3,500 |
| KLEINMAN, SCOTT | — | SCARSDALE, NY | 1 | $3,500 |
Connected on the graph
Inbound (100)
Outbound (40)
| date | type | to | amount | role | source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | principal_candidate_of | JONI ERNST NOMINEE FUND | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | NEW SENATE MAJORITY 2014 | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | SCOTT ROBERTS GARDNER ERNST VICTORY FUND (SRGE VICTORY FUND) | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | VICTORY TRUST 2014 | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | ERNST VICTORY IOWA | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | FOUNDERS SENATE CANDIDATE COMMITTEE | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | FLORIDIANS FOR A SENATE MAJORITY | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | WINNING WOMEN FOR THE US SENATE | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | MCFADDEN ERNST COTTON SULLIVAN VICTORY FUND (MECS VICTORY FUND) | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | RECLAIM THE SENATE 2014 | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | FRIENDS OF WINNING WOMEN | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | ERNST MAJORITY COMMITTEE | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | ERNST VICTORY FUND | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | IOWA REPUBLICAN PARTY 2014 VICTORY FUND | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | JONI'S ROAST AND RIDE | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | joint_fundraising_committee_of | ERNST VICTORY FUND | — | candidate_committees | |
| — | principal_candidate_of | JONI FOR IOWA | — | candidate_committees | |
| 2026-05-14 | spoke_in_clip | a844c034 | — | clip | |
| 2026-05-14 | spoke_in_clip | c572f24d | — | clip | |
| 2025-03-31 | spoke_in_clip | ffe77a42 | — | clip | |
| 2025-03-31 | spoke_in_clip | 7c1801c5 | — | clip | |
| 2025-03-05 | spoke_in_clip | eb559a11 | — | clip | |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Border Management, Federal Workforce, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Disaster Management, District of Columbia, and Census Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Livestock, Dairy, Poultry, and Food Safety Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Personnel Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Cybersecurity Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Conservation, Forestry, Natural Resources, and Biotechnology Subcommittee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Emerging Threats and Capabilities Subcommittee | — | CHAIR | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Rural Development, Energy, and Credit Subcommittee | — | CHAIR | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Armed Services Committee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee | — | CHAIR | congress-committee |
| 2025-01-03 | member_of_committee | Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee | — | MEMBER | congress-committee |
| 2024-12-05 | sponsor_of_bill | S 5429 — REMOTE Act | — | sponsor | sponsorship |
| 2024-12-04 | cosponsor_of_bill | S 5062 — Prison Staff Safety Enhancement Act | — | cosponsor | sponsorship |
| 2024-05-16 | cosponsor_of_bill | SRES 694 — A resolution expressing support for the designation of May 2024 as "Renewable Fuels Month | — | cosponsor | sponsorship |
| 2024-05-01 | cosponsor_of_bill | SJRES 58 — A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, Un | — | cosponsor | sponsorship |
| 2023-05-04 | cosponsor_of_bill | S 127 — Pharmacy Benefit Manager Transparency Act of 2023 | — | cosponsor | sponsorship |
| 2023-01-31 | cosponsor_of_bill | S 161 — JOBS Act of 2023 | — | cosponsor | sponsorship |
Clips (9)
Quotes, press releases, and Congressional Record fragments where this entity is the subject. Source: govinfo.gov BILLSTATUS + per-source ingest pipelines.
| Date | Source | Speaker | Headline |
|---|---|---|---|
| — | GDELT | — | kiwaradio.com: https://kiwaradio.com/news/38-5-million-is-a-start-for-runway-project-for-iowa-air-guards-refueling-wing/ |
| — | GDELT | — | mynorthwest.com: https://mynorthwest.com/national/editorial-roundup-united-states-43/4239475 |
| — | GDELT | — | radioiowa.com: https://www.radioiowa.com/2026/05/18/push-continues-for-funding-of-iowa-air-national-guards-runway-project/ |
| — | GDELT | — | cbs2iowa.com: https://cbs2iowa.com/news/local/senate-candidate-josh-turek-holds-campaign-event-in-cedar-rapids |
| — | Congressional Record | — | Cloture Motion (Executive Calendar) |
| — | Congressional Record | — | E15 (Executive Calendar) |
| — | Congressional Record | — | Nomination of Matthew Whitaker (Executive Calendar) |
| — | Congressional Record | — | RECOGNIZING J&S FARM SUPPLY |
| — | Congressional Record | — | RECOGNIZING PLANTPEDDLER |