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Sen. Joni Ernst, Husband Divorcing

Iowa Republican was first female combat veteran elected to Senate

Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is interviewed in Hart Building during a media availability hosted by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, on Aug. 23. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is interviewed in Hart Building during a media availability hosted by Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, on Aug. 23. (Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call)

Sen. Joni Ernst announced Monday that she and her husband, Gail Ernst, are “in the process of divorcing.”

The Iowa Republican said in a statement that the two “remain committed to their children and family and ask for respect for their privacy during this difficult time.”

The couple have been married since 1992. Ernst was first elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving in the Iowa Senate.

She was first woman elected to Congress from Iowa and the Senate’s first female combat veteran.

Also Watch: Lawmakers Remember McCain as ‘Patriot,’ ‘Friend’

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