Poll: Braley, Tea Party Favorite Steve King in Lead for Tom Harkin's U.S. Senate Seat

U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley is the overwhelming favorite to get the Democratic nomination for U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin's seat, according to an early poll.

Harkin announced he will not seek another term, and Braley has said he will consider running but hasn't committed to it.

Braley received the most support with 49.7 percent of respondents picking him, while Brad Anderson and Kevin McCarthy each received less than 4 percent, , according to a Jan. 29 Iowa Statewide Poll by Harper Polling. The poll's margin of error was 4.28 percent.

The poll had Braley winning in a general election against all Republican candidates but Rep. Tom Latham. The poll had Latham favored 36 percent to 33 percent.

However, in an interesting twist, Congressman Steve King, R-Kiron, is leading for the Republicans who may seek Tom Harkin's U.S. Senate seat. King would lose in a general election to Braley, though, according to the poll.

When Republicans were asked who they would vote for in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, King received the most support no matter who was thrown in the mix. King currently represents Ames as the 4^th District Congressman.

When asked who they would pick out of U.S. Rep. Tom Latham, King, Iowa Senator Brad Zaun or Bob Vander Plaats, of The Family Leader, more than 35 percent of Republicans said they would vote for King. Latham came in second with 21.7 percent.

And when Drew Ivers, a co-chair of Ron Paul's campaign, was added to the list King received 31.2 percent and Latham received 26 percent.

When those Republicans were asked who they would choose in a vote between Latham and King, King received 46 percent and 29 percent of Republicans said they would vote for Latham. The rest were unsure.

Harpers surveyed 523 Iowans on behalf of Conservative Intel on Jan. 29. Of those surveyed 38 percent said they were Republicans. When Democrats were asked who they would choose as their nominee U.S. Rep. Bruce Braley received the most support with 49.7 percent of respondents picking him. The poll's margin of error was 4.28 percent.

The results should be no surprise to most Republicans.

Politico reported in a story, “Can Steve King win Iowa Senate Seat?,” that even Republicans who worry that King would lose in the general election “acknowledge” that he would be the front runner for the GOP nomination.

King told Politico that he was thinking about running before Sen. Tom Harkin, a Democrat, announced that he would not run in 2014 and said it will take some time to gauge support and make a final determination.

Latham is also expected to throw his hat in the ring, but Bob Vander Plaats, of the Family Leader, said he isn't considering it at this time.