Ernst’s Half-Decade of Failure Faces Categorical Condemnation: 38% Favorability, 38% Job Performance, 35% Approval of Pandemic Response

A new PPP poll today shows precisely why Mitch McConnell and his dark money allies are pouring over $20 million into Iowa TVs to salvage Senator Joni Ernst’s re-election: Iowans know Senator Ernst, they don’t trust her, and they’re categorically rejecting another six years of failure to fight for working families in Washington.

  • Iowans don’t trust Senator Ernst: Ernst’s favorability continues to sit in the 30’s– a widespread rebuke after a half-decade of putting her corporate PAC donors ahead of Iowans.
  • Iowans know Senator Ernst broke her promise to “make Washington squeal:” Only 38% approve of Senator Ernst’s job performance – showing that Iowans know she’s broken her signature promise. 
  • Iowans know Senator Ernst has failed to respond to COVID-19: Only 1 in 3 Iowans approve of Senator Ernst’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic – a monumental hurdle to her re-election as the health and economic fallout continues to mount on Iowa workers and communities.
  • Iowans are ready for a new senator in Washington. Iowans haven’t just opened the door for new leadership – they see a champion in businesswoman and Democratic Nominee Theresa Greenfield, and they’re ready to send her to Washington and send Senator Ernst packing.

“Today’s poll makes crystal clear: Iowans know Senator Ernst as the corrupt Washington politician she is, and they’re categorically rejecting another six years of a senator who puts corporate PACs above the people of Iowa,” said Jeremy Busch, Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson. “In a seat the GOP wrote off as safe, Senator Ernst and Mitch McConnell are trapped in their election-year nightmare scenario. After a half-decade of fully embracing the corrupt ways of Washington, Senator Ernst has no room to rewrite her failed record of broken promises, and voters are poised to send her packing.”

The PPP poll is just the latest sign Senator Ernst is deeply vulnerable. Already marked the third-most unpopular senator in the country, Ernst has faced a cascade of rejection from Iowa voters: her approval rating plummeted 10% in only a year, and she’s underwater by double digits with independents. Race watchers have rated the race as one of the most competitive in the country and key to retaking the U.S. Senate.