Iowa's Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst said Tuesday she will vote to confirm Pete Hegseth to lead the U.S. Department ... Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach her at [email protected] or 515-284-8244.

Joni Ernst pressed Pete ... Hegseth. Some constituents have called for her to face a primary challenger when she is up for reelection in 2026, and Trump loyalist Kari Lake, who grew up in eastern Iowa, is headlining a political event in West Des Moines ...

Pete Hegseth was sworn in Saturday as the nation's 29th secretary of defense, quickly joining President Trump's Cabinet after a dramatic late-night vote in the Senate installed him as the Pentagon's leader.

Hegseth was confirmed as Secretary of Defense Friday night after a tight Senate vote that had Vice President J.D. Vance cast the tiebreaking vote.

The Iowa Republican’s decision dramatically increases the likelihood that Mr. Hegseth will have enough votes to be confirmed as President-elect Donald J. Trump’s defense secretary.

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), a key member of the Senate Armed Services Committee who has championed women serving in combat roles, announced Tuesday that she will vote for Pete Hegseth,

The Senate confirmed Pete Hegseth late Friday, swatting back questions about his qualifications to lead the Pentagon.

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa (KCRG) - Iowa Senator Joni Ernst could be the key to securing Pete Hegseth’s path to Secretary of Defense. But the Trump-nominated veteran and former TV host has no shortage of controversy in his past. As for Ernst, there are number of reasons why her vote could be the difference.

A Princeton and Harvard-educated former combat veteran, Hegseth went on to make a career at Fox News, where he hosted a weekend show. Trump tapped him as the defense secretary to lead an organization with nearly 2.1 million service members, about 780,000 civilians and a budget of $850 billion.