Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is running for Senate Republican Conference chair in a battle against Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., for the No. 3 position in party leadership in the next Congress, Politico reported Monday.
"Absolutely, this is winnable for me. And we shouldn't be afraid of elections for heaven's sake," said Ernst, who would be the highest-ranking GOP female senator in 50 years if she wins. "I've never been the establishment's chosen candidate. I've always been that outsider."
The Republican Conference chair plays a key role in developing the message for the party in the Senate, as well as handing out talking points and information to GOP senators, according to The Hill.
Ernst's decision is a natural progression given her current position as Republican Policy Committee chair, a role that is No. 4 in party hierarchy, Politico noted.
Sen. John Barrasso, R-Wyo., current conference chair, is facing term limits at the end of the year and is running for party whip in another piece of a larger shake-up as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., is stepping down as party leader after this year.
Ernst said she wants to be part of a "new era" in the GOP.
"Republicans want to see someone that doesn't just get told how to vote, but someone that can be an independent thinker and provide a voice to reason and to truth," she said. "I'm ready to take that on."
Ernst, unlike Cotton, has supported several major bipartisan deals in Congress.
"I take a very honest view at whatever legislation is put in front of us," Ernst told Politico. "There are those in our conference that don't want to have those hard conversations, because they're hard to message. But I'm not afraid."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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