Rep. Latham won't run for Senate

Rep. Tom Latham (R-Iowa) won't run for the Senate, a decision that could hurt Republican chances of picking up the state's open seat.

"The opportunity to serve Iowa in the U.S. Senate is appealing to this farm kid who grew up here, raised a family here, and helped grow a family business in Iowa. I love Iowa," he said in a statement emailed to supporters Wednesday afternoon.

"However, only 56 days ago I took an oath to 'faithfully discharge the duties' of an office with which the people of Iowa's Third Congressional District entrusted to me. I cannot in good conscience launch a two-year statewide campaign that will detract from the commitment I made to the people who elected me, at a time when our nation desperately needs less campaigning and more leadership."

Latham, an establishment Republican close to Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio), would have been a formidable general election candidate for the seat currently held by retiring Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) — he's a proven campaigner and a strong fundraiser. But he faced the daunting prospect of running against Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), a Tea Party favorite who is moving towards a run.

Polls show that Latham would have had a strong chance against Rep. Bruce Braley (D-Iowa), Democrats' early front-runner — but also show that King would have had a big early lead in the GOP primary.

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