Young to exit Senate race, run for House

DES MOINES (AP) ? Iowa Republican David Young is jumping into the race for the U.S. House seat held by the retiring Rep. Tom Latham and out of the crowded GOP field for U.S. Senate.

?I?m just switching races with the same goal of working hard for Iowans,? Young told the Associated Press on Thursday.

By doing so, Young, a former top aide to veteran Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, became the first Republican to publicly announce plans to seek the seat. Iowa Secretary of State Matt Schultz has said he?s weighing a campaign and Democratic former state Sen. Staci Appel, of Ackworth, announced her candidacy last year.

Young, of Van Meter, told the AP that he had originally planned to seek the 3rd District seat, which covers the Des Moines metropolitan area and southwest Iowa to the Missouri and Nebraska borders. But Young had also assumed that Latham would run for the U.S. Senate seat being vacated by retiring five-term Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin.

Instead, Latham, a 10-term veteran, declined to run in February and announced last month he planned to forgo a campaign for an 11th term.

Still, Young was also trailing in fundraising and had recently shed key staff, including his communications director. Last month, Heather Swift left Young?s campaign to work for Michigan Republican Terri Lynn Land?s U.S. Senate campaign, which is seen as more competitive considering the uncertainty of Iowa?s GOP primary.

Despite Young?s departure from the Senate race, the GOP field remains crowded as six candidates are seeking the nomination.

?Hopefully, it will give folks more clarity and come closer to avoiding a convention,? Young said.

If no candidate receives 35 percent of the vote in the June 3 primary, the party would call a special nominating convention, which could prolong party divisions. Democratic U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley, of Waterloo, is his party?s only candidate and is expected to report this month having raised close to $4 million last year.