Joni Ernst considers herself to be a "defender of traditional marriage". But how does she feel about traditional divorce?
This is an important question to ask, as the Iowa GOP's 2012 platform called for an end to no-fault divorce. Additionally, a bill banning no fault divorce for parents of minor children cleared an Iowa House subcommittee last year, before the clock ran out on full committee passage.
The Ernst/Culver family tree (much like many, if not most such family trees) is filled with many tangled branches of divorce and remarriage. Her clan has been taking full advantage of modern, no-fault divorce laws to seek more perfect unions. Including her own parents.
Joni Ernst's mother Marilyn Culver
Joni Ernst's father Richard Culver and new "Mom" Monica Culver
More importantly, if Joni's husband Gail Ernst, had been unable to obtain a no-fault divorce from his wife Ingrid Nesbit (she has also since remarried) they could not have married themselves. Perhaps the proximate cause of his divorce was Gail's falling in love with the young college ROTC woman a few years older than his eldest daughter Regina. Gail describes meeting Joni, "the future Mrs. Ernst".
If that is indeed the case, than Ingrid could have sought out a traditional divorce on the grounds of adultery. Adultery is still prosecuted in the military under Article 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It is hard to prove. But adultery that had been proven in a court of law between two enlisted military members would have likely meant the destruction of both Joni and Gail's military careers, simply because of who they loved.
Given that, perhaps even Joni Ernst can agree that sometimes it is for the best that traditions evolve.
Left to right, Joni's stepdaughter Jennifer Thompson-Medina, daughter Libby Ernst, husband Gail Ernst, Joni Ernst, stepdaughter Regina Ernst