Iowa, lost her bid Wednesday to lead the Senate as Republican Conference chair, falling to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. This means she won’t

As a result, Ernst, who was previously serving as chair of the Senate GOP Policy Committee, no longer has a role in the Senate leadership team. But Ernst congratulated Cotton and the rest of the leadership team in a post to the social media website X.

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst will not rise to a higher leadership position among her Republican colleagues following a vote Wednesday.

Ernst's spokesperson said she's 'laser-focused' on the Senate, after a news organization reported Ernst is interested in serving as defense secretary.