Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley, the oldest sitting U.S. senator, lamented the possibility that a Democratic governor could appoint his successor if he were to die in office, according to video of remarks he delivered late last week."At 93 years of age, I don't know how many more groups of Republicans like this I’m going to have a chance to talk to," Grassley said on Friday during the GOP's annual Reagan Dinner in West Des Moines. "But I want to take advantage of it. But one of the reasons I'm worried about who's going to be elected governor -- I don’t plan on dying in office -- but if I did, I don’t want a Democrat governor choosing my successor."Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images - PHOTO: Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Sen. Chuck Grassley presides over a hearing on men in women's sports in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Sept. 23, 2026, in Washington, D.C. Grassley, who celebrated his 93rd birthday on Sept. 17, is currently serving in his eighth term in the Senate -- set to expire Jan. 3, 2029.If Grassley were to die in the next two years, the next governor of Iowa -- set to be elected this fall -- would make a temporary appointment to fill the seat until the 2028 election.'All eyes are on Iowa this year' as Democrats hope to turn red seats blueA late June Fox News poll found Democrat Rob Sand, Iowa's state auditor, with a 9-point lead over Republican Zach Lahn among registered voters in the state. A New York Times/Siena poll conducted around the same time found a much closer contest with the candidates essentially neck-and-neck among likely voters.Grassley has not announced whether he will seek a ninth term in the Senate in 2028.This article originally appeared on ABC News at https://abcnews.com/Politics/chuck-grassley-oldest-sitting-us-senator-laments-dying/story?id=136832758