WASHINGTON _ Sen. Joni Ernst announced Monday that she and her husband, Gail Ernst, are "in the process of divorcing."
The Iowa Republican issued a statement saying, "They remain committed to their children and family and ask for respect for their privacy during this difficult time."
The couple have been married since 1992. Ernst was first elected to the Senate in 2014 after serving in the Iowa Senate.
She was the first woman elected to the Senate from Iowa and the Senate's first female combat veteran.
