Grassley Will Run for 8th Term in Senate

Politics|Iowa’s Grassley volition question an eighth word successful the Senate.

• Sept. 24, 2021, 8:49 a.m. ET

Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the elder Republican successful the Senate, announced Friday connected Twitter that helium would question an eighth term, relieving Republicans disquieted astir a bitter superior combat that could enactment the spot astatine risk.

Mr. Grassley, who turned 88 past week and would beryllium 95 astatine the extremity of his term, sought to stress his fittingness successful disclosing his plans that volition gully attraction due to the fact that of his age. A tweet showed an alarm timepiece turning to 4 a.m. and Mr. Grassley jogging successful the aboriginal greeting darkness.

“It’s 4 a.m. successful Iowa truthful I’m running,” said Mr. Grassley, a habitual jogger. “I bash that 6 days a week.”

In a abstracted release, Mr. Grassley, archetypal elected to nationalist bureau arsenic a authorities legislator successful 1958, said that helium has been encouraged to tally by Iowans arsenic helium toured the authorities successful caller months.

“I’m moving arsenic hard arsenic ever for the radical of Iowa and there’s much enactment to do,” helium said successful a statement. “In a clip of situation and polarization, Iowa needs strong, effectual leadership.”

Senator Mitch McConnell, the Kentucky Republican and number leader, had joined his colleagues successful encouraging Mr. Grassley to tally to caput disconnected a superior combat to win him. A bitter Republican superior could person provided an opening for Democrats to prime up a spot successful what volition beryllium an aggravated conflict adjacent twelvemonth for the Senate majority. Former Democratic Representative Abby Finkenauer, 32, who mislaid her re-election bid past year, has already announced she would question the spot held by Mr. Grassley.

Elected to the Senate successful 1980 erstwhile Ronald Reagan won the presidency, Mr. Grassley has utilized his seniority to preside arsenic president of some the Senate Finance Committee and the Judiciary Committee, wherever helium was instrumental successful advancing President Donald J. Trump’s nominees to the Supreme Court and besides blocking President Barack Obama’s information of Merrick B. Garland. He easy won re-election successful 2016 adjacent though Democrats aggressively sought to topple him due to the fact that of his refusal to instrumentality up the Garland nomination.

Mr. Grassley was known for bipartisanship earlier successful his vocation but became progressively blimpish arsenic his authorities besides shifted ideologically to the right. During the Obama presidency, Mr. Grassley engaged successful negotiations with Democrats implicit the wellness attraction instrumentality but pulled retired nether a Republican backlash to his enactment with Democrats. He was a starring proponent of a transgression justness overhaul crafted with Democrats and signed into instrumentality by Mr. Trump.

As the elder Senate Republican, Mr. Grassley was 3rd successful enactment to succession of the president erstwhile Republicans held the Senate majority, pursuing the vice president and talker of the House. He would not beryllium the oldest Republican legislator ever if helium served his afloat eighth term. Strom Thurmond of South Carolina was 100 erstwhile helium near the Senate successful 2002.