The list of names bandied about as potential high-profile Democratic challengers of Republican Sen. Charles Grassley has shrunk to a few who are well-known in party circles and have not yet ruled out a run.
State Democratic Party Chairman Michael Kiernan is keeping under wraps the name of the candidate he promises can give Grassley the "race of his life," but he says the announcement will be "very soon."
The potential emergence of a candidate who Kiernan says can go toe-to-toe with Grassley, a fundraising heavyweight who has won broad electoral support, comes as the five-term senator's approval has dropped sharply in recent months among non-Republicans.
It suggests Grassley could be in for an uncharacteristically competitive re-election fight, Iowa Republicans close to him say.
http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20091005/NEWS09/910050324/1007/NEWS05