Senator Chuck Grassley announces reelection bid, will seek eighth term

The 88-year-old Republican from Iowa has kept some guessing about whether he would compete for another term

Published: September 23, 2021 11:46am

Updated: September 24, 2021 7:45am

Early Friday morning, Iowa Senator Chuck Grassley (R) announced he is running for reelection in 2022. The announcement came via the Senator's campaign twitter account at 4 a.m.

The announcement was shared along with a GIF of the 88-year-old running, something he is known around D.C. and his home state to do most mornings.

Grassley, who will be seeking an eighth term, has remained quiet for months regarding his reelection plans. National Republicans have encouraged him to run – he won his last reelection campaign in 2016 by an enormous margin of 25 points.

As the GOP looks to take back the Senate in 2022, keeping Grassley's seat uncompetitive is a strategic advantage that Republicans were hesitant to lose, despite the longtime politician's age.

Former congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) will likely be Grassley's general election competition. Recent polls show Grassley with a commanding lead over Finkenauer.

Grassley will begin his campaign swing on Friday and over the weekend, when he appears at a number of events with Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds (R), who is also running for reelection.