Johnston, Iowa — The value of incumbency was the opening topic as Republican Senator Chuck Grassley and his Democratic opponent, Mike Franken, debated on television the night of October 6th.
Grassley, who is seeking an eighth six-year term, will have the most seniority in the Senate if he’s re-elected and he described it as a position of influence.
Franken is a retired Navy admiral who has never held elected office.
The two candidates disagreed on a variety of topics. Franken favors making the 1973 Roe v Wade decision that had legalized abortion for nearly 50 years a federal law.
Grassley said the U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned Roe v Wade has left abortion policymaking to elected state officials and he’d vote no on a Republican Senator’s bill that would ban abortions nationwide after the 15th week of a pregnancy.
If elected, Franken would vote to repeal Trump-era tax cuts.
Grassley said repealing those tax cuts would lead to lead to the biggest tax increase in the history of the country.
Near the end of the debate, Franken responded to a former campaign aide’s allegation that he had kissed her without her consent. Franken, who said he has zero tolerance for sexual misdeeds, seemed to suggest the Grassley campaign had a role in making the allegation public.
The candidates agreed the U.S. should be supporting Ukraine’s effort to repel Russia from its territory. Franken said if Russia’s president orders a nuclear strike, the U.S. should send in unarmed soldiers who are specially trained to respond to radiation victims. Grassley said deployed American soldiers should be armed so they can defend themselves. The debate, which aired on Iowa PBS October 6th., is the only joint appearance the candidates will make before the November election.
