Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, trumped Democratic contender Art Small for a U.S. Senate seat from Iowa, with 685,900 votes or 68 percent of votes cast, after 55 percent of precincts reported.

“I thank the people of Iowa for expressing confidence in me for another six-year term,” Grassley said.

In his campaign, Grassley asserted that when it came to the war in Iraq, the best course of action to take would be to show the Iraqi people the United States is helping, not occupying, their country, and to establish Iraqi sovereignty.

Of the top issues concerning the rest of the nation, health care served up a heated debate on the campaign trail.

Small pushed for a universal health care system to cut down on administrative costs, and Grassley proposed tax credits and a “health savings account” to combat the problem affecting many residents of the state.

Small said it was an honor to represent the Democratic Party, though running again is not an option for him. Small said he was pleased with the campaign’s efforts, gaining 301,755 votes or 30.1 percent, even if elected office isn’t one of the rewards.

“I think we made a huge effort,” Small said. “I think we forced Grassley to spend all if his money, and I think we challenged him aggressively on the issues. I’m happy I did it.”

— Alex Switzer contributed to this story.