Voting Profile

Legislative Record

182 votes analyzed

Most Active Policy Areas

#1 healthcare#2 environment energy#3 other#4 defense#5 social security

182

Votes Analyzed

Data sources: voteview, congress.gov

Political Position

Ideology Spectrum

0.54Conservative

Senator Joni Ernst holds a conservative voting record that aligns closely with, and slightly exceeds, the Republican Party average. Her NOMINATE score of 0.538 places her firmly in the conservative camp, reflecting consistent support for traditional Republican policy priorities.

LiberalModerateConservative
Republican avg

Near the average for Republicans (0.52)

Data source: VoteView NOMINATE scores (UCLA/UC San Diego)

Policy Positions

Category Breakdown

182

total votes analyzed

Overview

Joni Ernst has served as a U.S. Senator from Iowa since 2015, bringing a background that includes military service in the Iowa Army National Guard. Her voting record demonstrates strong alignment with conservative priorities, particularly in areas of defense, agriculture, and fiscal policy. Senator Ernst has shown notable engagement on healthcare legislation, casting 92 votes in this category with a roughly even split between supporting and opposing various measures. This suggests active participation in healthcare debates during significant reform discussions. Her voting patterns on defense issues (67% yea) reflect her military background and support for armed services-related legislation. On economic matters, Ernst has voted consistently in favor of budget and taxation measures that came before her, while showing more selective support for banking and finance legislation (20% yea). Her 100% support rate on agriculture votes aligns with Iowa's significant agricultural economy and her representation of farming interests.

Key Positions

  • Strong supporter of defense and military-related legislation
  • Consistent advocate for agricultural interests reflecting Iowa's farm economy
  • Active participant in healthcare policy debates with mixed voting patterns
  • Supportive of budget and taxation measures aligned with fiscal conservative principles
  • Selective approach to banking and financial regulation legislation
  • Conservative stance on infrastructure spending proposals

By Policy Area

Healthcare92
52% yea48% nay
Environment & Energy23
61% yea39% nay
Other22
64% yea36% nay
Defense21
67% yea33% nay
Social Security7
57% yea43% nay
Banking & Finance5
20% yea80% nay

Analysis updated: January 9, 2026

Campaign Finance

Follow the Money

Includes all authorized campaign committees (principal committee, joint fundraising, and other authorized committees). Outside spending by Super PACs and independent groups is shown separately below. Verify on FEC.gov →

Career: $49.5M

Fundraising Over Time

Raised per election cycleSpent

Contribution Sources

Individual$4.4M

74%

PAC / Committees$1.5M

26%

Individual Breakdown

Itemized (>$200)

$2.8M

Small Dollar (<$200)

$1.6M

Donation Sizes

Under $200
$566K · 40%
$200 – 499
$8K · 1%
$500 – 999
$49K · 3%
$1,000 – 1,999
$154K · 11%
$2,000+
$633K · 45%

Share of individual contribution dollars by donation size, current election cycle.

Where the Money Comes From

In-state (IA)$114K · 10%
Out-of-state$1.1M · 90%

Itemized individual contributions only (donations over $200 report the donor's state). Small-dollar donations are not included because the FEC does not itemize them.

FL
$242K
NY
$130K
IA
$114K
VA
$108K
CA
$101K
TX
$87K
DC
$45K
GA
$30K

Top Contributors

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Top Contributing Industries

Top Donor Employers

RETIRED$418K
NULL$128K
SELF-EMPLOYED$60K
HOMEMAKER$33K
US AI$13K
APOLLO$11K
EDWARD C. LEVY CO.$7K
HUNT COMPANIES$7K
INDECK ENERGY SERVICES INC.$7K
ELLIOTT INVESTMENT MANAGEMENT$7K
THE ANSCHUTZ CORPORATION$7K
FISHER INVESTMENTS$7K

Employer as self-reported by itemized donors. “Not Employed” and “Self-Employed” typically rank highest for small-dollar campaigns and include retirees.

Where the Money Goes

Spending by Purpose

Other / Uncategorized
$1.2M
Refunds
$979K
Advertising
$77K
Administrative
$75K
Contributions
$19K
Fundraising
$281.33

Purpose categories are self-reported on FEC filings; large “Other” totals are common.

Top Payees

1.

TARGETED VICTORY

$344K
2.

SOCKO STRATEGIES LLC

$210K
3.

CMDI

$142K
4.

VENABLE LLP

$133K
5.

TRUIST VISA

$97K
6.

STANTON CHILD RESOURCE CENTER

$80K
7.

DOT THE I DESIGN AND GRAPHICS

$60K
8.

RIGHTSIDE COMPLIANCE LLC

$58K

Detailed Breakdown

Expenditures

Operating Costs

$4.4M

Operating Offsets

$167K

Net Operating

$4.2M

Transfers

Transfers Out

$41K

Refunds

Individual Refunds

$573K

Committee Refunds

$408K

Outside Spending (Super PACs)

Supporting

$21.6M

Opposing

$130.4M

Total Outside Spending

$152.0M

Top Outside Spenders

01

DSCC

-$58.2M
$58.2M
02

SMP

-$54.5M
$54.5M
03

SENATE LEADERSHIP FUND

+$13.3M
$13.3M
04

LCV VICTORY FUND

-$5.6M
$5.6M
05

END CITIZENS UNITED

-$4.0M
$4.0M
06

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF REALTORS CONGRESSIONAL FUND

+$3.9M
$3.9M
07

EVERYTOWN FOR GUN SAFETY VICTORY FUND (EVERYTOWN VICTORY FUND)

-$3.9M
$3.9M
08

FREEDOM PARTNERS ACTION FUND INC

+$3.3M
$3.3M

Independent expenditures are made without coordination with the candidate. Source: FEC Schedule E filings.

Coverage: 1/1/2021 6/30/2026FEC: S4IA00129Updated: 8/12/2026Source: FEC.gov (all authorized committees)
Joni Ernst — U.S. Senator for Iowa: Voting Record & Donors | PowerVote