Sen. Harkin Won’t Seek Reelection

U.S. Senator Tom Harkin announced Saturday that his fifth term will be his last and he will not seek reelection in 2014. The 73-year-old Iowa Democrat claimed it was “time to step aside” and open the door to a new generation of Democrats. Chairman of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, he will be 75 at the end of this term. If he were to seek a sixth, he would be 81 by the time he left. Nevertheless, his announcement is surprising, considering his $2.7 million campaign coffers and a fundraising gala planned for February. The move paves the way for the GOP to regain the Senate majority, which they’ll need six seats to do. Let the games begin.