WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republicans have taken control of the U.S. Senate with Joni Ernst winning in Iowa, Fox projected on Tuesday.
Ernst, 44, a state senator and an Iraq war veteran, defeated U.S. Representative Bruce Braley in the race to succeed retiring Democrat Senator Tom Harkin. Ernst will be the first woman to represent Iowa in the U.S. Senate.
During an intense campaign, Ernst and Braley, a four-term congressman, clashed over whether President Barack Obama had done enough in response to the Ebola outbreak and the threat from the Islamic State extremist group in the Middle East.
(Reporting by Michael Flaherty; Editing by Eric Walsh)