Iowa's U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst was defeated in her bid for the Senate Republican conference chair position, losing out to Arkansas Sen. Tom Cotton.

Iowa, lost her bid Wednesday to lead the Senate as Republican Conference chair, falling to Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark. This means she won’t

Iowa Senator Joni Ernst will not rise to a higher leadership position among her Republican colleagues following a vote Wednesday.

Ernst's spokesperson said she's 'laser-focused' on the Senate, after a news organization reported Ernst is interested in serving as defense secretary.