Ernst defeats Braley in Iowa

Iowa state Sen. Joni Ernst (R) has defeated Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), giving Republicans a big win in a key swing state and tipping the scale of Senate control toward Republicans. 

{mosads}Multiple networks have called the race for Ernst, who leads Braley 50 to 46 percent with 46 percent of precincts reporting.

Ernst capitalized on a folksy campaign style, touting her farm girl background and Army Reserve experience as she relentlessly painted Braley as a Washington insider.

Braley fatally wounded his campaign with comments early on that the state’s senior senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, was just a “farmer from Iowa” in a private fundraiser, and Ernst pounded on that gaffe throughout the race.

Democrats fought back hard, painting Ernst as a Tea Party extremist and attacking her on women’s health issues, Social Security, Medicare and education as well as energy. But Braley never managed to repair his own image in the state and Democrats’ attacks against Ernst never inflicted enough damage to push him ahead in a race that Democrats expected to win easily early in the election cycle.