Ernst served as auditor of Montgomery County, Iowa from 2005 to 2011. She was later elected to the 84th and 85th general assembly of the Iowa legislature, (January 2011 to January 2015) her second term as a state senator from District 12, representing six counties in the southwest corner of Iowa.<ref name=Iowaleg/>
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Ernst served as auditor of Montgomery County, Iowa from 2005 to 2011. She was later elected to the 84th and 85th general assembly of the Iowa legislature, (January 2011 to January 2015) her second term as a state senator from District 12, representing six mostly rural counties in the southwest corner of Iowa.<ref name=Iowaleg/>