After a neck-and-neck race for the Senate seat, Republican Joni Ernst won re-election, defeating Democrat Theresa Greenfield on Nov. 3. 

According to the New York Times and the National Public Radio, as of late Nov. 3, Ernst took the Iowan U.S. Senate seat with 51.5% of the vote opposed to Greenfield’s 45.4% with 89% of Iowa reported. Libertarian Rick Stewart took 2.2% of the vote and Independent Suzanne Herzog earned 0.8%. 

Despite earning only 40.8% of the absentee vote, Ernst was able to take back Iowa for a second term. 

According to the Times Citizen, as of 11:56 p.m., Hardin county remains uncounted after technical difficulties with a ballot counting machine. 

Ernst initially took office on Jan. 3, 2015. 

Ernst advocates for small government, federal budget cuts, agriculture, national defense, the second amendment and regulations on abortion.  

In her current term as U.S. senator, Ernst voted in favor of banning abortion after 20 weeks, imposing budget caps, keeping U.S. forces in Iran and not halting Trump’s border wall emergency declaration.

Ernst most recently voted to confirm Amy Coney Barrett to the supreme court. 

Ernst totes her signature slogan, make em’ squeal, which is her plan to cut Washington spending. 

“Iowans sent me to Congress with a specific mission: cut wasteful spending and make Washington squeal,” Ernst said on her website. “We both know that Washington’s reckless spending is spiraling out of control, and today, we are more than $22 trillion dollars in debt! That means every Iowan’s share of the national debt exceeds $67,000.” 

Nov. 4, 2014, Ernst defeated incumbent Democrat Bruce Bradley and Libertarian Douglas Butzier.