Ernst: ‘I have a lot more to do’ in the Senate

by TheHill.com - 07/06/16 1:53 PM ET

Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) on Wednesday appeared to edge away from consideration to be presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s running mate.

{mosads}Ernst met with Trump on Monday in New Jersey, saying later the pair had a “good conversation.” Trump praised her, saying she’d “done a great job” as a senator.

“I made that very clear to him that I’m focused on Iowa. I feel that I have a lot more to do in the United States Senate. And Iowa is where my heart is,” Ernst told Politico on Wednesday.

“I’m just getting started here. I have a great partner with [Sen.] Chuck Grassley [R-Iowa]; we’ve been able to accomplish a lot. And I think that President Trump will need some great assistance in the United States Senate and I can provide that,” Ernst added, according to Politico.

Also Wednesday, one of Ernst’s Senate colleagues officially removed himself from consideration to be Trump’s vice president. Sen. Bob Corker (R-Tenn.), chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, indicated he wasn’t interested in the position.

Corker was reportedly among just a few potential picks who have undergone vetting for the position, but withdrew himself a day after campaigning with Trump in North Carolina.

Ernst won in Iowa in the 2014 election as the GOP regained a majority in the Senate. She delivered the Republican response to President Obama’s State of the Union speech in January 2015.

She said Wednesday that she’ll be offering tactical advice to Trump and would “love to assist him out on the trail,” according to Politico.

Other potential vice presidential picks include New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-Ga.) and Indiana Gov. Mike Pence.