Grassley wins GOP Senate primary in Iowa

Sen. Chuck Grassley was projected to coast to the Republican Senate nomination in Iowa on Tuesday, putting him one step closer to an eighth term in the upper chamber.

The Associated Press called the race at 9:27 p.m. ET.

Grassley, who was first elected to the Senate in 1980 after three terms in the House, faced only nominal opposition in the GOP primary from Iowa state Sen. Jim Carlin.

Grassley, 88, announced his reelection bid last fall after months of speculation that he would retire after his current term.

He is currently the oldest Republican in the Senate and the second-oldest senator after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who will turn 89 later this month.

With the primary out of the way, Grassley is seen as the heavy favorite in the Iowa Senate race in November. He has a history of winning reelection by wide margins, scoring a 25-point victory the last time he was on the ballot in 2016.

The Democratic primary, meanwhile, has largely become a head-to-head match-up between former Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-Iowa) and retired Navy Adm. Mike Franken.

The eventual winner will go on to face Grassley in November, though unseating the seven-term incumbent is likely to be an uphill battle for any Democrat.