U.S. Sen. Charles Grassley said Friday he will seek a sixth term in office when he comes up for re-election in 2010.
"I will run for re-election," said Grassley. "With my seniority, I am worth more to my employer, the people of Iowa, than I was before."
Grassley, 73, was elected to the U.S. Senate in 1980, knocking off Democratic Sen. John Culver, father of Iowa's current governor Chet Culver. Grassley has held elective office in Iowa continuously since 1956, serving in the Iowa Legislature and then moving to the U.S. House in 1974.
Grassley is the ranking Republican on the Senate Finance Committee and the Senate Judiciary Committee, and he plays a key role in budget decisions despite Democratic control of the chamber. Grassley has forged a close relationship with Montana Democratic Sen. Max Baucus, who runs the Finance Committee, and that gives him heavy influence over budget matters.
With a new farm bill in the works and lawmakers looking to tackle issues such as Medicare and Social Security, Grassley said his seniority can be crucial.
"I want to use that to the benefit of the people of Iowa," he said.
Grassley is arguably the state's most popular politician, and Democrats in past elections have filed only token opposition.
There has been no word of potential opponents for Grassley in the 2010 election.
Democratic U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin will face re-election next year. Aides said he raised $1 million in the first quarter of this year and has $2 million in the bank.
Eastern Iowa businessman Steve Rathje is the only Republican who has announced plans to seek Harkin's seat.
Grassley spoke during taping of Iowa Public Television's "Iowa Press," airing this weekend.
Asked about the future of U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales, under fire for his role in the firing of eight U.S. attorneys, Grassley said Gonzales must use an upcoming appearance before a congressional panel to extricate himself from a deep hole.
"He said some things at a news conference that were different from what he told a committee," said Grassley. "He's going to have to convince us he was not inconsistent.
"It appears to a lot of senators that he did misspeak."
Gonzales initially denied taking part in the decision to fire the attorneys, but that account has been disputed.Aberdeen American News/
