Iowa Senator Joni Ernst is a Republican politician who has served in the United States Senate since 2015. She previously served in the Iowa Senate from 2011 to 2014. Ernst is the first woman to represent Iowa in Congress and the first female veteran elected to the United States Senate. Her full name is Joni Kay Ernst and her nickname is 'the Iron Lady'. Her last name, Ernst, is a five-letter word that can be used as a crossword solution.