Of all the Iowa representatives and senators in Washington D.C., there is only one Democrat – Sen. Tom Harkin.

An Iowa State graduate, Harkin served Iowa in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1974 to 1984. Since 1984, Harkin has been a senator for the state of Iowa. If Harkin wins the 1996 election, he will be the first Iowa Democrat to be elected to three consecutive Senate terms.

A native of Cumming, Iowa, Harkin worked his way through college and law school and served in the Navy from 1962-67. In 1972, he lost his first bid to serve Iowa in Washington as a representative, but came back two years later when he invented “work days.” The program is a campaign technique in which candidates spend a day working at a local job. Since its creation, work days has been imitated by many politicians.

The senator is a vocal supporter of education. He favors federal direct student loans and wants to give a yearly tax deduction of up to $10,000 for the cost of attending college and vocational schools.

Harkin’s efforts to help Iowa farmers include supplying direct food aid to the Soviet Union and supporting NAFTA, which allows for free trade of Iowa corn and pork, a high commodity in Mexico.

Despite his efforts for an education and farming dominated state, Harkin is best known for his work on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). His motivation lies behind his disabled brother, who became deaf at age 9. The act established rights for the disabled over the costs of changing services that cater to their needs.

In the foreign policy realm, Harkin opposed contra aid in the 1980’s and the Gulf War.

Harkin’s latest key votes in Congress include voting for the Balanced Budget Amendment, the Brady Handgun Purchase, the Clinton Deficit Plan and cutting missile funds.