Secretary of State admits he’s been asked to run for Senate

Secretary of State Chet Culver held a fundraiser this weekend, but he refuses to say whether the money will be used to bankroll a campaign to unseat Republican Senator Charles Grassley in 2004. In 1980, Chuck Grassley beat Chet Culver’s dad, John Culver, to win that seat in the Senate. During a recent phone conversation, Radio Iowa asked Chet Culver if he wouldn’t like to avenge his father’s defeat by running against Grassley himself. Culver says 1980 was a long time again. Culver says his father did inspire him to get into public service and has been a wonderful advisor, but Culver says he’s not concerned about the past and is focused on the future. Culver says while it’s been nearly 25 years since his father lost to Grassley, he still meets folks who remember his dad from his days growing up in Cedar Rapids to his five terms in the U.S. House and one term in the U.S. Senate. Culver says he’s set no deadline for making a decision about a run for the Senate. Culver says he doesn’t think there’s an expectation for him to make a decision anytime soon. Culver says he’s flattered that he’s been approached by party leaders to think about running, but he says top Democrats are talking to others about running, too. Grassley won reelection in 1998 with 69 percent of the vote. Last year, Culver won reelection as Secretary of State with about 53 percent of the vote.