Read the original story at The Ottumwa Courier

For 34 years, Tom Harkin has served Iowans in Washington, D.C. as either a five-term congressman from the state’s fifth district or as the four-term U.S. senator.

He now seeks a fifth term in the Senate, hoping to continue working on a host of issues he believes are important to Iowans.

As chairman of the Senate Ag Committee, Harkin has worked hard at creating a Farm Bill that is much more than ag subsidies. Harkin, for example, wants to reward farmers who practice conservation.

Harkin is also a champion of renewable energy, biofuels, bio-based products and energy efficiency efforts and his support of continued growth in these areas will benefit Iowans in the years to come.

He told the Courier editorial board that Iowa ranks first in the nation for biofuel production and ranks fourth with a growing wind industry. Both of those industries have strong ties to the farm and back to Harkin’s role as chairman of the ag committee.

Harkin is also a strong advocate of cellulose ethanol and believes it will shoot down any arguments made by opponents of ethanol and their argument it’s a matter of “food vs. fuel.”

Harkin should be praised for his commitment to Iowa’s school children. His Harkin School Grants alone have helped the Ottumwa school district with critical building funds, including the recent Eisenhower Elementary expansion project.

The senator is also committed to expanding Head Start and pre-K education, knowing full well this is a critical point in a child’s life. What happens at ages 3 and 4 can make a difference in their learning over the course of their K-12 career.

Harkin’s opponent, Republican Christopher Reed of Marion, is new at politics, but he claims that’s just the reason we should send him to Washington.

While the small businessman should be applauded for taking his shot at political office, he is too much of a neophyte to jump into the shark-infested waters of the U.S. Senate.

While it’s true that Harkin and fellow Sen. Charles Grassley have been in Washington a combined 68 years, their experience and seniority is key in bringing Iowans’ needs to the forefront.

This election, we endorse Tom Harkin’s re-election to the U.S. Senate.