Senator Chuck Grassley is an American Republican politician who has represented Iowa as a senior senator since 1981. He is one of the longest-serving and oldest senators in the Senate. Grassley takes pride in being a farmer by profession, and prior to his election to the Senate in 1980, he worked in a variety of occupations, including as a sheet metal cutter and assembly line worker.
Chuck Grassley Biography (Age)
Senator Chuck was born on September 17, 1933, as Charles Ernest Grassley on a farm in New Hartford, Iowa, where he also grew up. He was born to Louis Arthur Grassley and Ruth (née Corwin). Grassley attended and graduated from high school in his hometown before going to the Iowa State Teachers College where he received his Bachelor of Arts degree in 1955. A year later, in 1956, he earned a Master of Arts degree in Political Science from the same college that is now the University of Northern Iowa.
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During his studies, Chuck Grassley worked in various professions, including as a metal cutter and assembly line worker. From the mid to early sixties, Chuck Grassley taught at Charles City College. He began his doctoral studies at the University of Iowa but quit before graduating.
Chuck Grassley was elected to his first political office in 1959 when he was elected to the Iowa House of Representatives from the 73rd District of Iowa. He continued to represent other districts before joining the United States House of Representatives, where he served from 1975 to 1981.
In 1981 he became U.S. Senator of Iowa and was re-elected 6 times. His committee responsibilities included the Committee on Agriculture, Food and Forestry, the Finance Committee, which he chaired from January to June 2001 and later from January 2003 to December 2006. After the 115th Congress, Senator Chuck Grassley became Chairman of the Judiciary Committee.
Chuck Grassley Net Worth
Thanks to the research results provided by the non-profit group Center for Responsive Politics, the public knows how much politicians earn. In the case of Senator Chuck Grassley, his net worth of $3.3 million is high enough to place him in the top half of the group of richest U.S. senators.
Most of the farmer’s wealth comes from his farmland in Butler County, Iowa, with an estimated value somewhere between $700,000 and $1.7 million. Grassley is proud to use social media to spread images of the progress of crops on his farmland.
In addition to agribusiness, Chuck Grassley also invests in other sectors, including real estate. Financial reports show that the Senator has invested approximately $2.3 million in real estate in a decade from 2005 to 2015.
During the same period, $21.8 million was invested in crop production and over $17 million in “other investments. According to a graph from the Center for Responsive Politics that shows Grassley’s estimated net worth over the decade, his wealth peaked in 2007 when his net worth was estimated at over $4 million and reached an all-time low of $2.5 million, largely due to the recession.
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Grassley’s personal property includes a three-bedroom townhouse in Arlington, Virginia, which he bought in 1994 for about $375,000. The total value of the property is now estimated at over $740,000. He paid off the mortgage on the property in 2012. The Senator also owns a house in Beaver Township, Iowa, which he bought on April 14, 1998, for $101,500.
Other Facts
- Chuck Grassley is married to Barbara Ann Speicher and together they have five children, including Lee, Wendy, Robin, Michele, and Jay Grassley.
- Grassley’s family has done a great job of following in his footsteps. His son Robin Grassley runs his farm, while his grandson Pat Grassley started a political career and is now a member of the Iowa House of Representatives.
- Chuck Grassley is a Baptist and member of The Family, the organization that organizes the National Prayer Breakfast.
- The Senator had a longstanding feud with the History Channel, which he criticizes for lacking history programs. His membership in the Butler County and State of Iowa Historical Societies says much about his knowledge of history.
- Grassley practices frequently and includes running in his routine.
- He has a fear of heights, a fact revealed by his wife when she jumped for him during his 2016 election campaign.