WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Reuters/Evelyn Hoockstein Washington (Reuters) – Senator Chuck Grassley said Friday that he plans to run for another term next year in the congressional elections. The move will boost his party’s chances at holding on to his seat in a deeply divided house.

Grassley was the oldest Republican senator. Also, he is Iowa’s longest serving senator.

He seeks to complete his 8th term. The chamber is currently split 50-50. Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris serves as the tie-breaker, giving Democrats narrow control.

“I’m running for re-election — a lot more to do, for Iowa. Your support is needed and appreciated. We ask you to join us. He posted the following tweet (NYSE:)

Republicans lost control of Senate following special elections in Georgia in January. They plan to take back the House of Representatives and the upper chamber next year in an effort to defeat Democratic U.S. president Joe Biden who was elected in 2020. According to nonpartisan Cook Political Report, Grassley is considered a solid Republican.

Grassley currently serves as the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking Republican. He previously presided the Senate during the time when Republicans Donald Trump and Democrat Barack Obama controlled the Senate. He helped to reshape our nation’s most conservative court with three additional solidly conservative justices.

He was a key player in the contentious U.S. Supreme Court nomination of conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018.

He was also a supporter of the 2016 decision by Mitch McConnell, then-Senate Majority Leader, not to vote on Obama’s nominating Merrick Garland as Supreme Court nominee, an act with very little precedent in U.S. historical history. Trump took over as the chairman of the committee, leaving it vacant for more then a year. In 2017, he was replaced by Neil Gorsuch.

Grassley was no more the chair, but he was still on the committee in the Senate’s confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett, Trump’s third Supreme Court appointment.