1. Harkin’s Exit Heralds Scramble for Senate Seat – Wall
Street Journal
By SIOBHAN HUGHES
WASHINGTON—Tom Harkin, one of the Senate’s leading liberals, said Saturday that he
wouldn’t seek re-election in 2014, likely setting off a scramble among Republicans and
Democrats for what promises to be a competitive Senate seat.
The 73-year-old Iowa Democrat cited his age and his length of service on Capitol Hill as a factor
in his decision. He was elected to the House of Representatives in 1974 and won his Senate
seat in 1984.
Enlarge Image
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2. Agence France-Presse/Getty Images
Sen. Tom Harkin at the U.S. Capitol last May.
Mr. Harkin has endured major political upheavals through the decades, arriving in the Senate
during the conservative Reagan era and more recently helping to advance the 2010 health-care
overhaul, the Affordable Care Act, a cornerstone of President Barack Obama‘s presidency that
is widely embraced by liberals.
“After 40 years, I just feel it’s somebody else’s turn,” Mr. Harkin said in a statement. “I don’t
by any means plan to retire completely from public life at the end of this Congress. But I am
going to make way for someone new in this Senate seat.”
Mr. Harkin had been viewed as likely to retain the seat. His decision to step aside triggers a
wide-open race that could attract a number of contenders. Among those mentioned most
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3. frequently are Rep. Steve King (R., Iowa); Rep. Tom Latham (R., Iowa) and Rep. Bruce Braley
(D., Iowa.)
In a statement, Mr. Braley called Mr. Harkin’s departure “a huge loss for the people of Iowa,”
praising the senator’s work on health-care issues. He didn’t comment on whether he plans to
enter the Senate race.
Spokespersons for Messrs. King and Latham couldn’t be reached for comment.
“It’s clearly no longer safe for the Democrats—it’s now a competitive race,” said Stuart
Rothenberg, the editor of the Rothenberg Political Report. “I think you have to start off with the
Democrats having a slight advantage no matter what. The question is how big is that
advantage.”
“Right now I’m inclined to call this a tossup,” said Jennifer Duffy, senior editor of the Cook
Political Report. “Both parties have candidates they’re looking at who are credible. It comes
down to who has a nasty primary and who can clear the field.”
Another factor is that Iowa Gov. Terry Branstand’s term expires in January, 2015. Democrats
had been talking to Mr. Braley about running for the governorship, according to Ms. Duffy.
“Maybe there is pressure now for Braley to run for the Senate seat,” she said.
Democrats claimed that they would be able to come up with a strong contender for the seat.
Republicans said that Mr. Harkin’s retirement would put Democrats at a disadvantage.
“With Democrats already on defense in a number of key states, such as West Virginia,
Louisiana, South Dakota and others, there is no question that this is very troubling news for
[Senate Majority Leader] Harry Reid and his liberal friends in Washington,” Rob Collins,
executive director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement.
Sen. Michael Bennet (D., Colo.), chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee,
said Democrats had ample time to come up with a solid candidate. “I appreciate that Sen.
Harkin has made this decision so early in the cycle, giving us ample time to recruit a strong
Democratic candidate for this seat,” he said in a statement.
Sen. Reid (D., Nev.) issued a statement saying that he would miss Mr. Harkin. Citing Mr.
Harkin’s commitment to affordable health care, Mr. Reid said that “Tom is a passionate
progressive, whose deeply held principles have provided a guiding light to Democrats for
decades. The state of Iowa and the nation are better off because of his service.”
Write to Siobhan Hughes at siobhan.hughes@dowjones.com
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4. Source Article from
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324539304578265733318896560.html
Waddywood.com Harkin’s Exit Heralds Scramble for Senate Seat – Wall Street Journal
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