Check online at sos.iowa.gov. https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings If Grassley does seek reelection, Republicans and many Democrats concede the seat is essentially safe. Retired Navy Adm. Mike Franken campaigned on his 40 years of experience in the military and in Washington D.C. Iowa suddenly had political power. Reach her at bpfann@dmreg.com or 515-284-8244. And after Trump-supporting rioters stormed the Capitol, Grassley voted to certify Bidens win. Still, Trumps popularity in Iowa complicated Grassleys vaunted independent streak. He said he's "all over the map" in different situations. He posited the orchestra pit theory, that if you have two guys on a stage and one guy says, I have a solution to the Middle East problem, and the other guy falls in the orchestra pit, who do you think is going to be on the evening news?. I have voted for the DREAM Act. Bidens 39% approval rating imary winner might be more of a sacrificial lamb considering Bidens 39% approval ratings. She announced in November she would run for reelection in Iowa's 1st District. But to be honest with you, what I have been hearing is, its time to let new blood into his seat.. This is Franken's second Senate campaign. James Tackett Klein, a Republican from Winnebago County, who served two terms in the Iowa House, from 1969 to 1971, told me that Grassley didnt go out after the sessionshe worked. Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty (R-TN) offered his support last week after Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) announced that he's running for re-election in 2022. Former 1st District representative Abby Finkenauer,32, announced in July that she would challenge Grassley in 2022. Floridas wannabe autocrat and possible 2024 contender isnt Trump, but hes as dangerous to democracy. He announced his run in July. And asking him why he was playing footsie with liberals. Hes one of three 87-year-olds in the Senate and the second-eldest overall: Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) won reelection in 2018 while Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) is retiring next year. The Republican Donor Class Seems Ready to Dump Trump. The first Democrat to join the race wasDave Muhlbauer, a 37-year-old farmer and a former Crawford County supervisor. At count 22, Cotton stands up and helps pull Grassley, then 87 years old, to his feet. three in four Iowans had not formed an opinion on DeJear, he will run for an eighth term in the U.S. Senate. After all, in 2018 they captured three House seats, and Scholten himself nearly captured the fourth. The Democrat and fifth-generation farmer said Monday in his announcement video, Iowa is home, and the farmland is in his blood. The projected overall excess mortality in Australia for 2022 is extraordinarily high (30,449 deaths which is around a 20% increase over the normal baseline). From 2022 races to caucus action, what to watch for in Iowa politics. Thats how I feel.. State Rep. Christina Bohannan currently represents Iowa House District 85 in Iowa City. And though he never seriously contemplated challenging Bidens win, he says his colleagues had every right to do so. Read the full Q&A with Franken here. She is also a former television reporter and anchor at KCRG-TV in Cedar Rapids. Her father was a union pipefitter-welder, her mother a school secretary. He told the Carroll Times Herald he doesn't believe either party is doing enough to support the American middle class and rural Iowa in particular. You name it I am proud of what I've done, because this is my home., More: 3 Democrats are vying to take on Chuck Grassley; 3 Republicans want to oust Cindy Axne. Contact Editor Kathie Obradovich for questions: info@iowacapitaldispatch.com. He ran as a Libertarian in Iowa's 3rd District in 2020, finishing with 3.4% of the vote against Democratic U.S. Rep. Cindy Axne and Republican David Young. Ryan Melton announced his campaign Jan. 31, citing a need to protect the nation's democracy. Hes the difference between whether this is a competitive race, or whether Chuck Grassley just wins again., Poll: Majority of Iowans do not want Grassley to seek reelection. Former Iowa Rep. Mary Ann Hanusaannounced in April that she would seek Axnes seat, but her home in Pottawattamie County was drawn into the new 4th District. State Rep. Christina Bohannan, a Democrat and University of Iowa law professor, announced her candidacy in August. Follow her on Twitter at @brianneDMR. Grassley, who will be 89 years old in 2022, has filed a statement of candidacy for the 2022 election, making him eligible to run for an eighth term. A censure by the Republican Party of Texas would underline how the two-term congressman's willingness to break with conservatives on key issues during his short time in . I operate my family farm here in Iowa. These cable companies are getting to big like goggle so they can ignore their customers FNC has taken their ticker off. Grassley doesnt read the replies: 90 percent of them hate me. In November 2022, my colleague streiff reported on an investigation conducted by Senators Chuck Grassley and Josh Hawley, which revealed that this same Disinformation Governance Board . I will condemn it. Follow Iowa Capital Dispatch onFacebookandTwitter. Yes, the Cook Political Report and other analyses are not promising. Three Democrats are facing off for the partys nomination, hoping to stop Grassley from securing an eight term in the Senate. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, is seen in the U.S. Capitol after the senate luncheons on Tuesday, March 29, 2022. I will give him a forcible retirement.. In recent months, Finkenauer has emphasized her commitment to term limits to prevent politicians from serving such long stretches of time, and has said shell limit herself to two Senate terms if successful. But plenty of senators misspeak, and hes one of few willing to face questions extemporaneously for hours on end. If he wins reelection in November, Iowas longest-serving senator would be 95 years old by the end of another term. Franken's secured the nomination Tuesday, Abby Finkenauer entered the race as the perceived frontrunner, racking up significant endorsements and fundraising. Winds WNW at 10 to 15 mph.. At 37, Muhlbauer is also a half-century younger than the 87-year-old Grassley, who has said he will announce his reelection plans in the fall. The tenuous legal battle ahead poses a blow to national Democrats who have championed Mrs. Finkenauer as their preferred candidate to run against Mr. Grassley, who is seeking an eighth consecutive . Redistricting made things a little trickier for Iowas House races. According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Grassley's war chest held $4,320,715.95 as of May 18. Any Republican could retire and be proud of that kind of career. Behind Grassley was a painting of a soldier with a sunset behind him. Hes a conservative who can work with Democrats on a handful of issues, like criminal justice reform and drug prices, while executing brutal partisan power plays to fill the federal bench with conservatives. Or if you are a conservative, he is a symbol of the old guard of the GOP that wont step down for the new right wing. I mean, we're lucky to have candidates that are concerned about working for the people instead of the party, he said. The South Carolina senator is reportedly making moves to launch a White House bid, joining an already crowded list of potential candidatesa scenario Donald Trumps team is likely very giddy about. He portrays himself as vested in the future of struggling rural America as a fifth-generation farmer. If youre a Democrat in this state, you really need to create a movement.. He is the best path we have to keep the seat in Republican hands and take it off the map., Sen. Chuck Grassley talks to law enforcement officials at an event in West Union, Iowa, on May 4, 2021. Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy. But Grassley might not be ready to call it quits. He spends his recesses schlepping around the state with a handful of aides in tow, traveling the 99 County tour he invented. House Republicans, led by Judiciary Committee chair Jim Jordan (R-OH), have insisted they had evidence of the "weaponization" of the Department of Justice and the Federal Bureau of . After his first term in Congress, Grassley supported a constitutional amendment to prohibit abortion, which was a change from his softer position in 1974, when hed supported letting states decide. Right now, Rep. Ashley Hinson represents Iowas 1st District, but she will reside in and run for the 2nd District in 2022. I was born at night, but not last night, the 88-year-old senator said, adding that he wouldnt be too smart if he didnt accept the support of someone who had a 91% approval rating among Republicans in Iowa. I will outwork Chuck Grassley. Hometown: Sherrill (Dubuque County). Dave Muhlbauer is the first Democrat to launch a campaign challenging the long-time incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley (IA) for one of Iowa's U.S. Senate seats in the 2022 midterm elections. Brianne Pfannenstiel is the chief politics reporter for the Register. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texasendorsed Hassoon Aug. 12. micropolitan guy, Mar 21, 2022 Seven-term Republican Chuck Grassley was re-elected in 2016 with 60.1% of the vote. Ryan O'Leary, an Auburn businessman, has filed paperwork to run in the 4th District as an independent. Republican activists claimed she hadnt gathered enough signatures from enough counties. Figure 2 If you shift the vaccination curve by 6 months, it seems to align well with the death spikes. U.S. Reps. Ashley Hinson, Mariannette Miller-Meeks and Randy Feenstra all Republicans are seeking reelection. He is the former vice chair of the Crawford County Board of Supervisors, and he framed his announcement around rescuing rural Iowa. Vanity Fair may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our Affiliate Partnerships with retailers. Its tempting to underestimate Grassley. Born on a military base in Germany, his family later moved to the Midwest and Hurst would attend medical school at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. Grassley has four times more cash than the next leading candidate of either party. Ernst, Grassley vote 'no' as Judge Jackson is confirmed to the US Supreme Court, Abby Finkenauer, a former U.S. congresswoman and state legislator, 3 Democrats are vying to take on Chuck Grassley; 3 Republicans want to oust Cindy Axne, Mike Franken, a retired U.S. Navy admiral. Heres Starting Lines quick rundown of the Democratic candidates, their backgrounds, and what policies theyre campaigning on. Still, most of his focus is on domestic issues. Finkenauer is a former state representative who was . Both Gov. She launched her congressional campaign in July. The John Birch Society attacked Culver, and John Birchers donated to Grassleys campaign. Conlin recalls that even though she and Grassley were at odds, he still allowed her bills to come out of the committee. The National Conservative Political Action Committee sent mailers claiming Culver had helped Senator Ted Kennedy concoct [a] fallacy-ridden story about the Chappaquiddick bridge incident. I didnt eat the Chinese stuff; Im an American. (The restaurant is now the site of Fongs Pizza, a regionally famous Chinese-American fusion pizza parlor, renowned for its crab rangoon pizza. Krause's team said in a press release he will work to defend American democracy after . His shoulders slumped forward, his head leaned in, as he listened and answered questions. About 30 people were in attendance. In the Iowa House, she fought against legislation weakening workers rights; in Congress, she passed legislation helping small businesses, and focused on child care issues, rural health care, and the safety of packing plant workers. Watch the video & then chip in to help build our campaign: https://t.co/DPPR2wVD19 pic.twitter.com/YWvsgwcwvo, Download the We Are Iowa app Sign up for Local 5's "5 Things to Know" email newsletter Subscribe to Local 5 News on YouTube, In a campaign video released Monday, Dave Muhlbauer says many Iowa voters just feel like Democrats are leaving rural areas high and dry., No. Bryan Jack Holder, a Council Bluffs resident and Libertarian candidate, submitted paperwork to run in Iowa's 4th District. Rep. Cindy Axne, another potential Democratic Senate candidate, declined an interview request. But the insurrection was just water under the bridge for Grassley as he smiled and turned to the microphone. Hes a senior senator from a state with a largely consolidating and contracting free press. UNI Prof Wants to Try New Model to Curb Gun Violence in Waterloo; https://www.cookpolitical.com/ratings/senate-race-ratings. ), who led Democrats campaign arm in 2016. But look how close he came, he tells me. I asked David Yepsen, former longtime political reporter for The Des Moines Register, why Grassley would conspicuously avoid distancing himself from associations with racism and antisemitism. Heres how. A rural family practice doctor, Glenn Hurst is the only doctor in his small town and has seen up-close how the health care system and costs have made life difficult for rural Iowans. He has. Grassley was born on September 17, 1933, in a two-story white farmhouse outside of New Hartford, Iowa. Raw electoral politics aside, theres a more delicate topic. telling reporters he found it offensive to claim white supremacy. Some have been held for a year. The Jan. 6 insurrection was also a key motivator for Franken, and hes called out Grassley often for not denouncing the Big Lie about the 2020 election. State Sen. Liz Mathis was first elected to the Iowa Senate in a 2011 special election, and she was re-elected to her third full term in 2020. It doesn't exist. Franken beat former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer and physician Glenn Hurst and earned the right to run against Grassley, who is seeking an eighth Senate term and beat back a nominal primary challenge of his own on Tuesday. It was Culver who had lost touch with Iowans, while Chuck Grassley was a man of the people. Required fields are marked *. Thats all I can tell you., Fred and I hit a deer on hiway 136 south of Dyersville. He questioned Reagans military spending and pushed for hearings on unfettered defense budgets. The latestDes Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Pollfound a majority of Iowans 51% approve of Reynolds job performance. I was impressed with all three of them, really, said Kevin Shilling, a 68-year-old Greenfield resident who attended the event. In fact, if the later popularity of Trump and nine-term congressman Steve King (whose racist comments cost him his primary in 2020) have proven anything, these far-right associations were a perk. Grassleys push-ups are precarioushis arms barely bend, his movements are small and slow. She is a former state representative who is serving her first term in Congress after defeating Democratic incumbent, Abby Finkenauer, in 2020. U.S. House incumbents also face fierce challengers in 2022, as Iowas redistricted map shakes up the races. and instead mounted a race for state auditor. Grassleys victory was part of the ascendant New Right, a phrase that had become popular during Barry Goldwaters 1964 presidential run and encompassed a backlash to the social liberalism of the civil rights era and the growing feminist movement. And the people didnt seem to care about the KKK or any of that. But by last fall, Grassley put the rumors to rest, releasing a video of himself running at dawn. Hanusa, 58,suspended her congressional campaignand will instead run against Democrat Rob Sand for State Auditor. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement and Your California Privacy Rights. State Rep. Mary Ann Hanusa, a Council Bluffs native, was the first Republican to enter the 3rd District race. Hes held public office since 1959 and served in the Senate since 1981, including two years in the presidential line of succession. If Iowa's incumbent senator runs for reelection in 2022, the seat is safe for Republicans. Grassley faces a Republican primary challenge from state Sen. Jim Carlin, of Sioux City, who is running to his right and framing Grassley as an establishment moderate. When I ask Jim Hovelson, 89, Grassleys childhood friend and one of the few people around who remembers him as a boy, who Chuck Grassley is, he laughs and tells me a parable. In September, Democrat Joseph Kerner quietly entered the race and registered his campaign with the Federal Election Commission. The June 7 primary election will be the first test of a new set of political boundaries following Iowa's decennial redistricting process. It stands to reason, but he wouldve been courting the most conservative elements of the party in a battle against [Republican primary candidate] Tom Stoner and the moderate elements of the party, said Yepsen. But this isnt necessarily anything new. When you outlive the past, its easier to mold it into myth.The biography of Grassley written by Eric Woolson claims that the Grassley family avoided government assistance. She is a teacher and currently works for a nonprofit in Council Bluffs that provides care for children with mental and behavioral health needs. After the leaked Supreme Court opinion on abortion rights, Finkenauer has spoken out at several pro-choice rallies about her longtime support of womens health care and noting how useful it would be to have a young woman in the Senate who can talk personally about reproductive rights. According to the Quad City Times, he owns and operates FSBO Homes Quad Cities and launched Code Ninjas Quad Cities. Kuehl ended his campaign in March, as a state panel upheld a challenge alleging he failed to qualify for the ballot. At the time, Conlin was the assistant attorney general, and she says her job was to purge Iowas laws of sexism, including laws that mandated that only men could cut mens hair, or that allowed women to be sentenced to prison for longer than a man for the same crime. Multiple Democrats have lined up to challenge Grassley. The Base? The sunny spring day he went for a Bambinos burger was a typical one for Grassley, whose renowned 27-year-long streak of 8,927 votes was derailed only by the coronavirus. Senate's Chuck Grassley, 88, to Run Again, Buoying GOP's Hopes in 2022 Decision by 88-year-old could aid GOP bid to retake majority Battle for Senate has huge stakes for Biden given 50-50 split More: Chuck Grassley sails past Jim Carlin in Republican US Senate primary; moves on to run for 8th term. When he got close to one constituent in the restaurant, he assured her its so I can hear you. He hasnt announced, but I think hes going to run, advised National Republican Senatorial Committee Chairman Rick Scott (R-Fla.). has been credited with conservatives big wins in the 1980s. Feenstra got a high-profile boost from former Vice President Mike Pence in July, when he headlined a fundraiser for Feenstra in Sioux Center. She announced her campaign in July and was recently endorsed by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas. It was then that the meetings became raucous, with not liberal, but conservative constituents challenging him. Here's what to know. Today the Democrats on the House Judiciary Committee demonstrated that they will actively fight back against Republicans' false narratives. Farmers were saying to me later, Did you see Culver sweat? Mahls top priority is a candidate she views as stronger against Grassley. Do you have information you want to share with HuffPost. The general election will take place on Nov. 8, 2022. In 2021, a Selzer poll showed that the majority of Iowans, including a third of Republicans, hoped Grassley would not seek reelection. To many, Grassley sounds like hes a candidate-in-waiting. And Democrats choice for their top-of-ticket nominee will signal where the party is headed in Iowa and what issues they think will resonate with Iowans. The two-term incumbent already faces several Republican challengers. He has worked on the staff of U.S. Sen. Ted Kennedy, and at the U.S. Department of Defense, and he has served as the chief of legislative affairs for the Navy. Franken will nonetheless face stiff headwinds going into the general election against Grassley, who has served seven terms. The 87-year-old does push-ups, too. According to a release, he holds degrees in history and political science from Iowa State University and the University of Kansas. Republican U.S. Rep. Tony Gonzales of Texas was facing a rare potential censure Saturday by his state party over votes that included supporting new gun safety laws after the Uvalde school shooting that was in his district. And after five GOP retirements this cycle, Grassley is under pressure to save his party from defending yet another open seat as it labors to retake the majority. It could be the ticket to an eighth term in the Senate and change the midterm landscape. Hurst also chairs the Iowa Democratic Party's Rural Caucus and the party's 3rd District Central Committee, and he was involved in founding a branch of Indivisble, a progressive activist organization, in western Iowa. Shaken and trying to recover, Culver lost his edge. For years, Grassley has played the mumbling, grumbling, honest regular guy, who is willing to work across the aisle. Kim Reynolds' and Sen. Chuck Grassley's reelection races to early Iowa caucus action. Having dealt with folks out in D.C. the past couple cycles, I dont think they understand fully whats going on here in Iowa, Scholten said. If you want Grassley out, youve got to vote for the one that you think can beat him, Mahl, 66, said after voting at a downtown Council Bluffs church. In 1980, Roger Ailes, then a political consultant, came to Iowa to test out a theory on Grassleys campaign for Senate. In his biography, Woolson quotes Grassley as saying, I ate their pork loin with dressing. She laughed and said, I think he kinda liked me.. Now lives in Sioux City. Melton works in a leadership role at Nationwide Insurance and lives in Nevada, Iowa. Des Moines Primary 2022: Abby Finkenauer candidate profile . According to Yepsen, things began to change for Grassley under Obama. Kim Reynolds and Sen. Chuck Grassley are up for reelection in 2022, although Reynolds has not officially announced her bid. Following changes in the congressional maps as a result of redistricting, Iowa's 2nd District now cover's the state's northeastern corner, rather than it's southeastern one. Franken returned to Iowa to run in the 2020 US Senate primary, where he came in second place. Ailes would go on to run Fox News and have an outsize influence on conservative politics as an operative and media executive, helping elect the likes of Ronald Reagan, George H.W. She spoke to the Iowa Capital Dispatch on Aug. 20about her campaign priorities and the future of the Democratic party in Iowa. Bush, and Trump. Hinson, 38, will run in the 2nd District in 2022. He was capable. Labor Organizer: Gov. he was talking to Iowans at the rally about the Biden administrations failures. That age will be a factor down the road, said Ardie Kuhse, a longtime supporter back home who runs the Waukon Economic Development Corporation. More: Who's running for Iowa governor in 2022? (Grassley reportedly spoke about gold to the groups Financial Survival Seminar, and his press secretary told The Des Moines Register at the time that Grassley had not intended when he accepted the invitation to jump into bed with some political group. He knows more about Iowa than, I would guarantee, anybody in Iowa, said his junior Hawkeye State GOP senator, Joni Ernst. Hes pitching a universal health care system, while also pledging to bring down prescription drug costs. Chuck Grassley. The important June 7 primary election is fast approaching in Iowa, with early voting already underway at local county auditors offices. That was the message: He was fit.