Sen. Chuck Grassley will not resign early from the U.S. Senate, his office confirmed on Wednesday, ending days of speculation about whether Iowa’s longtime Republican senator would step down before Democrat Rob Sand takes over as governor. A spokesperson for Grassley told the Washington Examiner plainly: “Sen. Grassley is not resigning.” The statement closes the door on a scenario that had drawn wide attention in Iowa and Washington, in which outgoing Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds could have appointed Grassley’s successor before leaving office. Instead, Grassley plans to serve out the remainder of his current term, keeping his seat in Republican hands for now even as Iowa’s political map shifts sharply around him.
Quick Facts
| Detail | What We Know |
|---|---|
| Senator | Chuck Grassley, Republican of Iowa |
| Age | 93 years old |
| Senate role | President pro tempore of the Senate |
| Decision | He will not resign early and plans to serve out his current term |
| Governor-elect | Democrat Rob Sand, who flipped the Iowa governor’s mansion |
| Outgoing governor | Republican Kim Reynolds |
| New Senate colleague | Democrat Josh Turek, who defeated Ashley Hinson, per AP projection |
| Next election question | Grassley has not said whether he will seek a ninth term in 2028, when he will be 95 |
What Grassley Said and Why It Matters
The confirmation came in a short, direct statement from Grassley’s office to the Washington Examiner on Wednesday. There was no hedging and no talk of a timeline for stepping aside. The message was simple: Grassley is staying. For a senator who has served in Washington for decades, the clarity mattered, because the question hanging over Iowa politics all week was whether he would use a narrow window to shape who follows him.
The timing of the question was no accident. Rob Sand’s victory in the Iowa governor’s race changed the math of succession in the state. Under the scenario that had been discussed in political circles, Grassley could have resigned while Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was still in office, which would have allowed her to name his replacement. Once Sand takes over, that power would sit with a Democrat instead. That is why the days after the election were filled with talk about whether Grassley would act before the handover.
By saying no, Grassley has settled the immediate question. He will keep his seat, keep his senior role in the Senate, and leave any future decision about his political future for another day. The move also spares Iowa a sudden appointment fight at a moment when the state is already absorbing a wave of political change.
The Succession Scenario That Will Not Happen
To understand why the resignation talk gained so much traction, it helps to look at how a Senate vacancy would have worked. If Grassley had stepped down early, the sitting governor would have had the power to appoint a temporary successor to fill the seat. Because Reynolds, a Republican, is still governor until Sand is sworn in, an early resignation would have let her choose the next senator from Iowa.
That kind of appointment carries real weight. An appointed senator would arrive in Washington with the advantage of incumbency, a head start on fundraising, and a built-in platform for the next election. For a party that wants to hold a seat, that is a valuable gift. For the other party, it is a missed chance. That is why the speculation spread so fast after Sand’s win became clear: the window for Reynolds to act was open, but it was closing.
Grassley’s decision takes that option off the table. There will be no appointment, no handpicked successor stepping in before Sand takes office, and no early scramble to fill one of the most storied seats in the Senate. If a vacancy ever comes later, the governor at that time will handle it under Iowa law, and that governor will be a Democrat.
A September Warning That Foreshadowed the Debate
The speculation did not come out of nowhere. Grassley himself had raised the stakes of the governor’s race back in September, at a Republican dinner, when he spoke about what could happen if he died while in office. He said then that he did not want a Democrat governor choosing his successor, a remark that tied his own future directly to the outcome of the governor’s contest.
At the time, the comment read as a warning to fellow Republicans about what was on the line in November. It was also a reminder of the basic facts of Grassley’s situation. At 93, he is one of the oldest serving senators, and questions about his health and his plans are a normal part of the conversation around him, even when he shows no sign of slowing down.
The September remark helps explain why so many people assumed he might resign early once Sand won. If he had already said he did not want a Democrat picking his replacement, the logic went, he might act while a Republican could still do it. The statement from his office this week shows he thought about it differently. His concern in September was about a vacancy caused by death, not a signal that he planned to quit on his own schedule to control the outcome.
Iowa’s Shifting Political Map
Grassley’s decision lands in the middle of a major political shift in Iowa. Sand’s win flipped the governor’s mansion to the Democrats, a result that would have been hard to picture in Iowa just a few years ago. It was not the only Democratic gain in the state. Democrat Josh Turek won Iowa’s other U.S. Senate seat, defeating Ashley Hinson, according to an AP projection, and he will serve alongside Grassley in the Senate.
The changes reach beyond the Senate. Iowa’s congressional delegation is slated to flip overwhelmingly Democratic next year after the midterm wipeout, according to the Washington Examiner, turning a delegation that was once reliably Republican into something very different. Taken together, the results mark one of the biggest single-election swings in the state’s modern political history.
The Iowa results were part of a much larger national story. Democrats made sweeping gains in the 2026 midterm elections, and the scale of the shift produced a string of historic firsts across the country. Iowa, a state Republicans had counted as safe ground, turned out to be one of the clearest examples of how far the wave reached.
What Happens Next for Grassley and Iowa
The biggest open question now is what Grassley does in 2028. He has not said whether he will run for a ninth term, and that decision will shape Iowa politics for years. If he runs, he will be 95 years old on Election Day, a fact that will dominate any campaign conversation. If he does not run, the race to replace one of the Senate’s longest-serving members will become one of the most watched contests in the country.
For now, Grassley continues in his role as president pro tempore of the Senate, a senior post that reflects his long service and his standing among his colleagues. That position puts him in the line of succession to the presidency and gives him a visible role in the chamber’s daily business. His office has given no sign that his workload or his schedule will change.
Attention will also turn to the Senate’s newest members from Iowa. Turek arrives as part of a fresh Democratic class, and his working relationship with Grassley will be one of the more interesting pairings in the chamber: a new senator from the party that just swept the state, serving next to a veteran from the party that just lost it. How the two Iowans work together on farm policy, trade, and the issues that matter to the state will be watched closely back home.
Why This Race Drew National Attention
Stories like this one draw a national audience because Senate seats are scarce and every one of them counts. A single resignation, appointment, or retirement can shift the balance of power, change which party controls committees, and alter the path of legislation. When the senator involved is 93 and serves as president pro tempore, the stakes only grow.
The Iowa story also fits a pattern seen across the country this week, as Senate races in other states drew close attention too, including the contest in Tennessee. Voters, donors, and party strategists were watching the map all night, and Iowa delivered one of the night’s biggest surprises.
For Grassley, the national attention is nothing new. He has been a fixture of Iowa politics for generations, first elected to the Senate in 1980, and he has outlasted many of the colleagues who arrived with him. His name is tied to the state’s farm economy, its trade debates, and its role in presidential politics. That long history is part of why the question of who follows him carries so much weight, and why his short statement this week settled a debate that had gripped the state.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Chuck Grassley resigning from the Senate?
No. A spokesperson for Grassley told the Washington Examiner on Wednesday that he is not resigning. He plans to serve out the remainder of his current term in the Senate.
Why did people think Grassley might resign early?
After Democrat Rob Sand won the Iowa governor’s race, some speculated that Grassley might step down while Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds was still in office, so she could appoint his successor before a Democrat took over as governor. His office has now ruled that out.
Will Grassley run for reelection in 2028?
He has not said. Grassley has not announced whether he will seek a ninth term in 2028, when he will be 95 years old. That decision is still open.
Who will serve alongside Grassley from Iowa?
Democrat Josh Turek, who won Iowa’s other U.S. Senate seat by defeating Ashley Hinson, according to an AP projection. Turek will serve in the Senate alongside Grassley.
Sources
The Washington Examiner reported that a Grassley spokesperson confirmed on Wednesday that the senator is not resigning, and that he plans to serve out the remainder of his term after Rob Sand flipped the Iowa governor’s mansion; it also reported the appointment scenario involving Gov. Kim Reynolds, Grassley’s September remarks at a GOP dinner, his undecided 2028 plans, and the expected Democratic flip of Iowa’s congressional delegation. Washington Examiner. Signal News Cedar Rapids reported on Democrat Josh Turek’s win over Ashley Hinson for Iowa’s other U.S. Senate seat, based on an AP projection. Signal News Cedar Rapids. The Associated Press projected Turek’s victory in the Iowa Senate race. Associated Press.
Final Thoughts
Grassley’s short statement puts an end to a week of guesswork, but it does not end the larger story. Iowa has changed around him, with a new Democratic governor on the way, a new Democratic colleague in the Senate, and a congressional delegation set to look very different next year. The 93-year-old senator, meanwhile, stays in place, still holding one of the most senior posts in American politics and still keeping his own counsel about 2028. Whatever he decides, that choice will be one of the biggest moments in Iowa politics when it comes.
