The latest talk of a GOP hopeful for the seat of retiring Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin of Iowa centers on David Young, chief of staff to the Hawkeye State's senior Sen. Chuck Grassley. The move comes after Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds and Reps. Tom Latham and Steve King remove themselves from consideration as Senate candidates.
Young is well-known in party circles from his years at the helm of Grassley's office but has never held office before.
Iowa political historians love to point out there is precedent for a top congressional staffer successfully running for the Senate.
In 1972, when Iowa Democratic Rep. John Culver declined to run for the Senate, his chief of staff Dick Clark accepted the Democratic nomination. In one of the big upsets of the year, Clark went on to upset Republican Sen. Jack Miller.
The certain Democratic nominee for Harkin's seat is his fellow liberal, Rep. Bruce Braley.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax.
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