He’s Running…Literally
At 4 o’clock this morning, Sen. Charles Grassley’s campaign Twitter account posted a video, noting that at 4 a.m. six days a week, the Senator goes out for a run. And they then noted that he was running for another term in the U.S. Senate.
Last week, the Iowa political legend marked his 88th birthday. And if he has his way, he’ll be elected to an eighth term, at the end of which he would be 95 years of age.
The New Hartford Republican was first elected to the Iowa House in 1958, then to succeed veteran lawmaker H.R. Gross in the U.S. House in 1974. He upset incumbent John Culver in 1980 for a U.S. Senate seat…and he’s been there ever since.
Earlier this year, a poll showed a majority of Iowans would prefer he not run. But those generic opponent polls are usually a poor indicator, because the same polling firm this week noted that Grassley would handily win a one-on-one race against Abby Finkenaur, the former House member who was rejected by voters after only one term. Other Democrats are in the Senate field, as is a Republican…now that Grassley’s plans are set, and Finkenauer’s support seems soft, we’ll see how the field shakes out.
State Republicans are likely breathing a sigh of relief. There was no easily discernable heir apparent, and having him on the ballot next year no doubt helps statewide candidates like the governor, as well as the U.S. House candidates who will be running in new districts for the first time.
