(Radio Iowa) – The latest Des Moines Register “Iowa Poll” shows Republican U-S Senator Chuck Grassley may be facing his closest election since 1980. Grassley says he’s not concerned. “You know, I don’t worry much about these polls,” Grassley says. “I don’t worry much about who my opponent is, because I’ve got to work hard as a Iowa’s senator and I’m fighting the bad policies of this Biden administration.”

The poll shows fellow Republican and Governor Kim Reynolds has a 17-point lead over her Democratic opponent, while the same respondents gave Grassley an eight-point lead over his Democratic challenger, Mike Franken.”I got an opponent that says Biden’s doing a fabulous job and I think Iowans disagree with that as evidenced by Biden inflation, by gas prices going up, and not enforcing the open border,” Grassley says. “I think things are very much in Republicans’ favor, particularly in Iowa.”

Senator Charles Grassley (R-IA) speaks to SWIPCO employees and community leaders. (Ric Hanson photo) _ FILE PHOTO

A politician once said there’s only two ways to run for reelection, unopposed or scared. Grassley disagrees: “Listen, I’ve never run unopposed as far as I can remember, at least not since I’ve been in Congress, and I never run scared. I’m running doing my job.”

The Iowa Poll was conducted July 10-13 and shows Grassley leads Franken, a retired Navy admiral, by 47 to 39-percent.