Culture and Social Issues

Chuck Grassley Files For Reelection; Would Be 101 If He Finished Entire Term

Sen. Chuck Grassley (Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia Commons)

Republican Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley filed for reelection Sunday, meaning he would be 101 years old at the end of his next potential term.

Grassley turned 93 on Sept. 17 and intends to run for reelection in November 2028. He filed preliminary paperwork with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC), although he stated in September that he would not want a Democratic governor choosing his successor if he died in office.

If Grassley died in office, the Iowa governor would make a temporary appointment to fill his seat until a special election was held. Democratic Iowa gubernatorial nominee Rob Sand led Republican Iowa gubernatorial nominee Zach Lahn by an average of 8.4 points as of Monday, indicating that a Democrat could potentially be in office for the next four years, according to RealClearPolling.

Grassley currently serves as chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and as pro tempore of the Senate, the second-highest-ranking position in the upper chamber. His role puts him third in line to be president after the vice president and speaker of the House.

The Iowa senator was first elected to public office in 1958 to the Iowa House of Representatives. He later won his bid to serve Iowa’s third congressional district in the House of Representatives and was sworn in as senator in 1981.

Old-guard Republicans have largely held onto their seats on Capitol Hill while Democrats have replaced their incumbents with younger candidates throughout the 2026 primary election cycle. Republican voters ousted incumbents that did not align with President Donald Trump, who turned 80 in June.

Former Democratic California Sen. Dianne Feinstein was absent from the Senate between February and May 2023 after being diagnosed with shingles, missing 91 votes. She appeared frail during her public appearances and spent the remainder of her time in office in a wheelchair. Feinstein died in office in September 2023 at the age of 90.

Republican Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell suffered a fall in June and did not return until Sept. 14. His staff remained largely silent about McConnell’s whereabouts or condition until his return, although the 84-year-old remains in a wheelchair and has not spoken to reporters in the Capitol.

Republican Kentucky Rep. Hal Rogers, a 79-year-old incumbent who has served in Congress since 1981, won his primary in May against four challengers. In the House, Republican North Carolina Rep. Virginia Foxx is 83 years old and chairs the Rules Committee.

Former Republican South Carolina Sen. Storm Thurmond retired from the Senate at age 100, where he served as pro tempore.