Chuck Grassley has been a senator and looked invincible in Iowa for more than 40 years, but Democrat Mike Franklin trails Grassley by just 3 points.
The Des Moines Register reported on their latest poll:
A new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll shows Grassley leads with 46% of the vote to Franken’s 43% among likely voters. Another 4% would vote for someone else, 4% would not vote, and 3% are not sure.
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Franken’s improvement in the head-to-head contest is aided by an advantage among political independents, who back him over Grassley by 11 percentage points, 46% to 35%.
In July, independents were nearly evenly split, with 38% backing Franken and 37% backing Grassley.
Sen. Grassley’s closest previous election was a 24-point victory, so for the Iowa Senator to be leading by 3 points, which is within the margin of error, is shocking.
Grassley is pushing 90 years old, and nearly two-thirds of voters have concerns about his age. More voters now disapprove of Grassley (48%) than approve (44%).
It would be one of the biggest political upsets in recent history if Franklin beat Grassley. It would also end any hope that Republicans had of winning back the Senate and make it likely that Democrats would expand their Senate majority and get rid of the filibuster.
Georgia and Pennsylvania get most of the Senate attention from the media, but there is trouble all over the map for Republicans, and taking Chuck Grassley’s seat would mean a big election night for Democrats.
Mr. Easley is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
