GOP senator keeps door open to being VP pick

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) is keeping the door to the vice presidency open.

On ABC News’s “This Week,” the freshman senator was asked what she would do if the GOP presidential nominee next year asks Ernst to be considered as a running mate.

“Well I think that’d be nice,” she said, laughing. “Did my mother ask you say that? I am serving as Senator for Iowa. I really want to work hard for Iowans and they are always going to be my first priority.”

{mosads}Ernst, the first female combat veteran to serve in the Senate, was also asked if the U.S. should send in ground troops to fight the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

“I am not ready to put ground troops in. But I think we are coming to a juncture where we will have to make that hard decision,” she said.

“We will have to make a decision at some point,” she added. “Having served in the Middle East, I see a need at some point. If we don’t get this situation under control, ISIS will continue to spread.  And I think most of our service members understand that.  And I think many of them are ready to go back. If that call comes up, they are going to answer that call.”