Rep. Latham won’t run for Senate

by Cameron Joseph - 02/27/13 8:08 PM ET

{mosads}Latham, an establishment Republican close to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), would have been a formidable general election candidate for the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — he’s a proven campaigner and a strong fundraiser. But he faced the daunting prospect of running against Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a Tea Party favorite who is moving towards a run.

Polls show that Latham would have had a strong chance against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), Democrats’ early front-runner — but also show that King would have had a big early lead in the GOP primary.

Tags Boehner Bruce Braley John Boehner Tom Harkin