Fifth-term Democratic Senator Tom Harkin said Friday he is not seeking re-election next year, setting the stage for a key mid-term election that could help Republicans retake the Senate.
The veteran lawmaker, who expanded the rights of the disabled and fought for health and education reform, said that after 40 years in Congress, “I just feel it’s somebody else’s turn.”
In a statement announcing his decision, the 73-year-old also said he hoped to spend more time with his wife, and thanked the people of Iowa, who had allowed him to “enjoy a life and career beyond anything I imagined.”
The farming state of Iowa went to Democratic President Barack Obama in 2008 and 2012 but is seen as an election battleground, and Republicans will likely mount a strong campaign for Harkin’s seat in mid-term elections next year.
Harkin, who’s late brother was deaf, expanded rights for the disabled by introducing the landmark Americans with Disabilities Act: civil rights legislation passed in 1990 that outlawed discrimination.
The law requires employers and businesses to accommodate the disabled, such as by building wheelchair ramps, providing sign language interpreters for job interviews and allowing employees to leave work for medical treatment.
In 2009, Harkin succeeded the late Senator Ted Kennedy as chairman of the Senate’s Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, where he has worked to expand access to quality education and health care.
Harkin was first elected to the Senate in 1984, after serving 10 years in the House of Representatives, and was re-elected in 1990, 1996, 2002 and 2008.
Harkin’s announcement came a day after Republican Senator Saxby Chambliss said he would not seek re-election next year, expressing frustration with Washington gridlock that he said had shown the US Congress “at its worst.”
Senior US Senate Democrat Harkin to retire
