The polls open at 7 a.m. Tuesday for Iowa’s Primary Elections. There’s just one statewide primary — for Democratic voters. Four candidates are competing in the Iowa Democratic Party’s Primary for the chance to face Republican Senator Chuck Grassley. Patty Judge of Albia is a former Iowa lieutenant governor and state ag secretary. She entered the race after Grassley’s pivotal role in filling a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court became a flash point. “Washington isn’t working very well,” Judge says, “and Chuck Grassley just isn’t getting the job done.”

Forty-nine-year-old Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids, a state senator, says he provides the “best contrast” against the 82-year-old Grassley. “Iowans are desperately looking for new leaders who can do the job,” Hogg says, “and I’ve done the job for 14 years in the Iowa Legislature.” The Des Moines Register’s recent “Iowa Poll” found Judge leading the race with 42 percent support. Hogg was in second with 25 percent.

Fifteen percent of likely Democratic voters were undecided. The other two candidates in this race ran unsuccessfully for the U.S. Senate in 2010. Bob Krause got six percent in the “Iowa Poll” and Tom Fiegen got five percent. Krause, who is from Fairfield, says the middle class is being “hollowed out” and it’s time for federal action. “I’ve talked that issue ’til it’s blue in the face,” Krause says, “because that’s what I think it’s going to take to win in November.”

Fiegen says he visited each of Iowa’s 99 counties last year and is halfway through visiting each again this year. “I am hearing the pain of Iowans,” Fiegen says, “and for the all the promises of the politicians in DC and Des Moines, that pain is not getting better.” Fiegen is a bankruptcy lawyer from Clarence.

Six years ago about 73-thousand voters cast ballots in the Democratic Primary to pick a foe for Senator Grassley. Turn-out was far greater on the Republican side six years ago. Terry Branstad was seeking a return to the governorship in 2010 and nearly 230-thousand voters participated in the Republican Primary featuring Branstad, Bob Vander Plaats and Rob Roberts.

(Radio Iowa)