Campaign Almanac: NRA, Pompeo endorse Chuck Grassley

The National Rifle Association and Mike Pompeo, the former U.S. Secretary of State, have endorsed longtime incumbent Chuck Grassley in Iowa’s U.S. Senate race.

A Republican, Grassley is vying for his eighth six-year term in the U.S. Senate.

Grassley faces a Republican primary challenge from Jim Carlin, an attorney and state legislator from Sioux City. Iowa’s primary election is June 7.

Three Democrats are running for the seat: former Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer of Cedar Rapids; U.S. Navy veteran Mike Franken of Sioux City; and physician Glenn Hurst of Minden.

Pompeo has been a frequent visitor to Iowa as he lays the groundwork for a potential presidential bid. He was U.S. Secretary of State under former President Donald Trump.

“Senator Grassley has been a tireless fighter for the conservative cause,” Pompeo said in a statement. “From solidifying a conservative majority on the Supreme Court to fighting for middle-class tax relief, Senator Grassley has a proven track record of staying in the fight for our families.”

In endorsing Grassley, the NRA gave Grassley an A+ on its legislative record scorecard.

In a news release, the chairman of the NRA’s political arm praised Grassley for his opposition to myraid gun control measures, including universal background checks.

FRANKEN ENDORSEMENT: The Iowa Unity Coalition, a political organization that works to increase the political influence of diverse and underrepresented communities, endorsed Mike Franken in Iowa’s U.S. Senate campaign.

Franken, a U.S. Navy veteran from Sioux City, is one of three Iowa Democrats running for the U.S. Senate, trying to unseat Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley.

“Admiral Franken is passionate about making health care affordable and accessible especially in Iowa’s rural areas, where resources are hard to find,” Iowa Unity Coalition chairman Mitch Henry said in a news release from the Franken campaign. “He understands the struggles we have and he is more than capable of being Iowa’s next U.S. Senator.”

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