Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) holds a healthy lead over his Democratic challenger in the Iowa Senate race, boasting a double-digit advantage in the latest polls.
Almost half (49%) of Iowa voters say they plan to vote for the Republican incumbent over Democrat Michael Franken, giving Grassley an 11-point advantage with just over a month until Election Day, according to a new Emerson College poll released Friday. Another 4% say they plan to vote for someone else, and 9% remain undecided.
GRASSLEY TAKES FRANKEN TO TASK OVER WOMEN’S RIGHTS DURING IOWA MIDTERM DEBATE
Grassley is also enjoying higher favorability ratings, with 50% of likely voters in the state reporting they have a favorable view compared to 44% who say the opposite, according to the poll. Franken comes in 10 points lower, with 40% saying they view the Democrat favorably compared to 32% who say they view him unfavorably.
The latest polling shows Grassley widening his lead in the polls, with a similar June poll showing the incumbent leading Franken by only 8 points. The Republican incumbent is largely favored to win the race.
The contest began heating up during the candidate’s debate Thursday after the two traded a heated exchange regarding sexual assault allegations made toward Franken.
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When questioned about a former staffer’s claims that he forcibly kissed her, Franken attempted to turn it on the Republican, accusing Grassley of not supporting women’s rights because of his anti-abortion stance. Franken, a retired vice admiral in the Navy, had repeatedly denied the allegations, and Des Moines police concluded they were unfounded.
“What he’s doing is weaponizing women’s rights,” Franken said during the debate. “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.”
