Christie Vilsack Not Challenging Iowa Sen. Grassley

By Greg Giroux | October 26, 2009 11:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Iowa's largest newspaper is reporting that Christie Vilsack, the state's former first lady, will not challenge Republican Sen. Charles E. Grassley in 2010.

"I have decided not to run for the United States Senate in 2010," Vilsack, a lawyer and educator, said in a statement e-mailed to the Des Moines Register. "I will continue my work with the Iowa Initiative to Prevent Unintended Pregnancy and will be active in our party and across the state in issues that affect the quality of life for all Iowans."

Vilsack, who is married to ex-Iowa Gov. and current Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, said that she was "flattered and humbled by the requests from Democrats, Independents and even some Republicans to consider running."

Christie Vilsack's announcement paves the way for lawyer Roxanne Conlin to soon join the Democratic primary and become the front-runner in a race that already includes Tom Fiegen and Bob Krause, both former state legislators.

Democrats have promised a vigorous challenge to Grassley, a veteran Iowa officeholder who is seeking a sixth Senate term.

CQ Politics presently rates the Iowa Senate race as Safe Republican, but will continue to monitor the race for developments that might warrant a ratings change.

To see how the 2010 Senate races are shaping up, check out the CQ Politics' election map.

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