Iowa Republican Joni Ernst, who first gained national fame with a campaign ad talking about castrating hogs in her youth, promised in her victory speech Tuesday night to go to Washington and "make 'em squeal."
Addressing supporters in West Des Moines, Ernst called Democrat Bruce Braley "a worthy opponent."
"We didn't agree on much, but I do admire anyone who is willing to stand up and fight for what they believe in," she said.
Ernst's victory resulted in the sixth Senate seat of the night to flip from Democrat to Republican control, giving Republicans the magic number of 51 seats to guarantee them control of the upper chamber in January. She will replace retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.
"Well, Iowa, we did it! We did it!" she shouted to enthusiastic supporters.
She said the humble, small-town polling place where she cast her ballot Tuesday morning was a far cry from Washington, D.C., where she is headed.
"In Washington, politicians are more interested in talking than doing. They ignore problems, hoping they'll go away," she said. "But you know what? ISIS isn't just going to go away. The almost $18 trillion of national debt is not just going to go away."
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