Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) emerged victorious from one of his closest reelection bids for an eighth term in the Senate.
Grassley defeated Democratic challenger Mike Franken, a former Navy admiral who gave him a closer race than initially expected. One poll showed Franken sitting only 3 points behind the incumbent last month.
Grassley, 89, is the second-longest-serving member of the Senate after Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-VT) and was first elected in 1980. He chaired the Senate Judiciary Committee. His long tenure appeared to affect his favorability in some polls, including one that showed his approval rating at the lowest it’s ever been throughout his career, with two-thirds of voters concerned about his age.
Franken was dogged by both the typical campaign challenges of trying to oust a Republican incumbent in a safely red state, as well as assault accusations from a former staffer. He centered much of his attacks on Grassley on the Republican’s anti-abortion stance, accusing him of not supporting women’s rights during their debate in early October.
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“What he’s doing is weaponizing women’s rights,” Franken said. “This is a guy who’s made it his career to ban abortion, to support unequal pay, to do nothing for paid family leave, too. Many times he voted against the Violence Against Women Act. I don’t have a problem with this issue. He has a problem with women.”
Republicans only need a net gain of one seat on election night to take control of the Senate.
