Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley has rejected any suggestion he will step down early.
The 93-year-old Republican intends to serve the full term voters gave him in 2022, which ends in January 2029.
His office has said he remains focused on his work and has no plans to leave before then. Grassley is currently the oldest member of the U.S. Senate.
Grassley’s decision carries a concrete political cost.
Democrat Rob Sand won the Iowa gubernatorial race on Tuesday by roughly 11 points and is expected to take office in January.
Iowa law lets the sitting governor fill any U.S. Senate vacancy. Once Sand is sworn in, any opening in Grassley’s seat over the following two years would be filled by a Democrat.
Grassley recognized the risk months ago. At a September event, he said that he does not expect to die in office, but also made clear he does not want a Democratic governor naming his replacement, according to a report from KCCI.
Tuesday’s results turned that abstract concern into a live possibility. By remaining in place, he is counting on his health holding through early 2029.
Grassley has been a reliable member of the Senate for decades and has delivered for Iowa. Longevity alone is not the issue. The issue is that a single individual’s desire to remain in office now creates a realistic chance that Democrats gain an additional Senate seat without winning an election.
At age 93, the statistical likelihood of serving out a term that ends at age 95 is not high enough to treat the risk as theoretical.
