Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, said at a GOP event that he worries a Democratic governor elected this fall could appoint his replacement if he were to die in office. Grassley is serving his eighth Senate term, which runs through Jan. 3, 2029; a governor elected this fall would make a temporary appointment until the 2028 election. Recent polls show mixed results in the Iowa governor's race: a late June Fox News poll gives Democrat Rob Sand a nine-point lead, while a New York Times/Siena poll finds the race essentially tied among likely voters.
Sen. Chuck Grassley, 93, Warns a Democrat Could Appoint His Successor if He Dies in Office
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images - PHOTO: Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen. Chuck Grassley presides over a hearing on men in women's sports in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Sept. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C.
Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the Senate's oldest member at 93, told a GOP audience last week that he worries a Democratic governor elected this fall could name his successor if he were to die while in office.
Speaking Friday at the Republican Party's annual Reagan Dinner in West Des Moines, Grassley said he does not plan to die in office but voiced concern about the political consequences if he did.
“At 93 years of age, I don't know how many more groups of Republicans like this I'm going to have a chance to talk to. But I want to take advantage of it. One of the reasons I'm worried about who's going to be elected governor — I don't plan on dying in office — but if I did, I don't want a Democrat governor choosing my successor,” Grassley said.
Grassley celebrated his 93rd birthday on Sept. 17 and is serving his eighth term in the U.S. Senate, a term scheduled to expire on Jan. 3, 2029. If a vacancy were to occur before the 2028 election, the governor elected this fall would have authority to make a temporary appointment to fill the seat until voters choose a successor in 2028.
Race for Iowa Governor and Polling
The outcome of the Iowa governor's race matters for control of any potential interim appointment. A late June Fox News poll showed Democrat Rob Sand, Iowa's state auditor, holding a nine-point lead over Republican Zach Lahn among registered voters. By contrast, a New York Times/Siena poll conducted around the same time found the contest essentially even among likely voters, underscoring differing snapshots of the race depending on methodology and electorate definitions.
Grassley has not yet announced whether he will seek a ninth Senate term in 2028.
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