GOP Senate hopeful touts his Iowa roots

The first thing David Young wants you to know about him is that he's an Iowan.

“I am Iowa,” the Republican U.S. Senate hopeful says.

Although he's flattered that the Iowa Democratic Party has a website devoted to introducing him to Iowa, Young says it's not necessary.

Sure, he's spent the past 20 years working in Washington, the last seven as Sen. Chuck Grassley's chief of staff, but Young says he's an Iowan through-and-through.

“Growing up, I worked on farms, I baled hay, I walked beans and scooped a lot of you-know-what,” he said this morning. He also waited tables, delivered newspapers and worked at the Iowa State Fair.

Given the number of Iowans working in Grassley's office and visiting it each day, “It's like you never left Iowa.”

Young, 45, a native of Van Meter in Dallas County, is one of two Republicans to get into the race to succeed Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin. Former U.S. Attorney Matt Whitaker is the other. Others have expressed interest in the race and Young expects there may be as many as five candidates in the June 2014 primary.

On the Democratic side, 1

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District Rep. Bruce Braley is the only candidate.

Young has never met Braley and doesn't doubt he has good intentions, “but I don't think his policies are right for Iowa.”

“I just don't think Bruce Braley represents Iowa all that well,” he said. “I think I can draw a contrast between his record and his beliefs and mine.”

For example, he takes issue with Braley's recent vote against the Keystone pipeline.

“Those are jobs. That's national security, that energy independence,” Young said. “Our middle-class is getting crushed out there with his fuel prices and they need some relief and that could help lower fuel costs.”

Like Grassley, Young wants to promote a flatter and fairer tax system.

“I'm on the same page as Sen. Grassley on a heck of a lot more things than Congressman Braley,” Young says, adding that given the senator's approval rating “that doesn't hurt me to have him on my resume.”

“But I'm not a Chuck Grassley clone,” he said. “I am David Young and I know I have to be my own man and distinguish myself from others.”

That's why 17 months before the 2014 election he's crossing the state to meet activists and other Iowans to build his base of support.

“I'm enjoying it. It's fun,” he said.

Young has his own website, www.youngforiowa.com.

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