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Chuck Grassley holds 8-point lead over Mike Franken in US Senate race, Iowa Poll finds

cigaretteman

HR King
May 29, 2001
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Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley leads Democrat Mike Franken by 8 percentage points among likely Iowa voters, according to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll — a first look at what could be Grassley’s most competitive election since 1980.

Grassley leads 47% to 39% against Franken, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, in the latest poll, conducted July 10-13 by Selzer & Co. Another 7% of likely voters say they would vote for someone else, 2% say they would not vote and 5% say they are not sure.

While Grassley leads Franken, the margin is narrower than in any Iowa Poll matchup involving Grassley since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Grassley has not polled below 50% in a head-to-head contest since October 1980, before he went on to defeat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. John Culver.


“It is his weakest showing since 1980,” pollster J. Ann Selzer said of Grassley.

Still, election forecasters say the race is solidly positioned in Grassley’s favor.

More:Can Mike Franken defeat Chuck Grassley in US Senate race? Franken confident; experts skeptical

Since Grassley’s 1980 victory over Culver, which he won by 8 percentage points, a Democrat has not won even 40% of the vote against Grassley. His closest result since then was in 2016, when he defeated former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge by 24 percentage points, taking 60% of the vote to Judge’s 36%.

“It’s a solid lead,” Selzer said. “But it’s just not as huge as we’ve seen in the past.”

The new poll of 811 Iowa adults — including 597 likely voters — has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for questions asked of all Iowans and 4 percentage points for questions asked of likely voters.

 
Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley leads Democrat Mike Franken by 8 percentage points among likely Iowa voters, according to a new Des Moines Register/Mediacom Iowa Poll — a first look at what could be Grassley’s most competitive election since 1980.

Grassley leads 47% to 39% against Franken, a retired U.S. Navy admiral, in the latest poll, conducted July 10-13 by Selzer & Co. Another 7% of likely voters say they would vote for someone else, 2% say they would not vote and 5% say they are not sure.

While Grassley leads Franken, the margin is narrower than in any Iowa Poll matchup involving Grassley since he was first elected to the U.S. Senate. Grassley has not polled below 50% in a head-to-head contest since October 1980, before he went on to defeat incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. John Culver.


“It is his weakest showing since 1980,” pollster J. Ann Selzer said of Grassley.

Still, election forecasters say the race is solidly positioned in Grassley’s favor.

More:Can Mike Franken defeat Chuck Grassley in US Senate race? Franken confident; experts skeptical

Since Grassley’s 1980 victory over Culver, which he won by 8 percentage points, a Democrat has not won even 40% of the vote against Grassley. His closest result since then was in 2016, when he defeated former Lt. Gov. Patty Judge by 24 percentage points, taking 60% of the vote to Judge’s 36%.

“It’s a solid lead,” Selzer said. “But it’s just not as huge as we’ve seen in the past.”

The new poll of 811 Iowa adults — including 597 likely voters — has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.4 percentage points for questions asked of all Iowans and 4 percentage points for questions asked of likely voters.

Iowa is a lost cause. A 90-year-old senator? Lol. Dumb.
 
You know, I can't describe any more succinctly the damage the Iowa GOP has done to Iowa schools than just point out...Kimmy, Chuckles, Joni, Feenstra and Hinson, the Iowa House and Senate.
 
You know, I can't describe any more succinctly the damage the Iowa GOP has done to Iowa schools than just point out...Kimmy, Chuckles, Joni, Feenstra and Hinson, the Iowa House and Senate.
The teachers union has done more damage than those peiple could ever dream of.
They are trying to correct the issue.
 
Franken is an idiot. Wants Iowa to be like California. Even the ol Democratic standard pollster 538 only give Franken a 2% chance.
 
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Gov’t unions “bargaining” with elected dems is $$ for votes - screw the taxpayer.
Over history, unions have been pro Dem.

But much of that is because between Republicans and Democrats, the Dems were typically the Party that stood up for workers.

And the anti union GOP, in Iowa and around the country, has done everything they can to destroy unions.
Hence...the elimination of collective bargaining in our State.
 
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Lots of Republicans know they are just voting to give Kim Reynolds the chance to fill the seat. They know Chuck isn’t up to the job, and they don’t care
 
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The brain drain from Iowa will no doubt continue. The redder Iowa gets, the stupider and more fascist the environment gets, and the more that the truly good people and the truly talented people will leave. As they have been.

Just look at how far and how quickly the University of Iowa hospitals and clinics have dropped in the rankings the last couple years because our top institutions are losing talent very quickly due directly to the fascist policies from the Republicans in Des Moines.

What world-class doctor or STEM researcher or corporate HQ would want to be in a state with political leadership that is overtly anti-science and unapologetically fascist?

The talent in this country will continue to congregate in places whose laws respect women’s rights, are pro education, pro environment, pro gun control, pro science, less religious, And more free and truly democratic as in DEMOCRACY, and focused on COMMUNITY.

And while there are wonderful pockets of true community like Iowa city, state just gets worse in general because of Trumpism and fascism.

The Republican Party has nothing but destruction as their policies. They are completely sold out to Neoliberal corporatism and corporate fascism and it’s all about destroying government and planet and people and community all for short term profit. It is disgusting and inhumane and antithetical to everything truly Iowan.
 
Lots of Republicans know they are just voting to give Kim Reynolds the chance to fill the seat. They know Chuck isn’t up to the job, and they don’t care

I don't know if Reynolds would take it if offered. I mean, that really isn't a step up. Regardless, I like the idea of Grassley winning and then handing the baton. It gives a good leg up to his replacement in the next election.
 
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not surprising considering this is the state that continued to re-elect Steve King.

Chuckles has no business running for the senate at his age. Too bad Iowa has enough imbeciles to enable him to remain in office. sad.
 
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