Former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice has jumped into the Iowa Senate race, endorsing Republican state senator Joni Ernst.
“We need more leaders, like Joni, who understand America’s role abroad and the threats posed against us,” Rice said, noting that Ernst would be the first female combat veteran in the Senate.
Rice has previously backed Republican Senate candidate Dan Sullivan, who worked in the Bush administration, in his bid to upset Senator Mark Begich (D., Alaska).
Her endorsement of Ernst comes as Republicans are trying to hammer Representative Bruce Braley (D., Iowa) over his record as a Veterans Affairs Committee member — he skipped the majority of hearings, including sessions on the VA backlogs — in the final days of the campaign.
Ernst leads Braley by four points, according to the latest poll, and by 2.1 points in the Real Clear Politics polling average.