Candidates running for a seat in the U.S. Senate pounded the pavement Monday, hoping to woo Quad City voters ahead of Tuesday's primary.
Rep. Bruce Braley is the only Democrat running for the seat that will be vacated by longtime Democratic Sen. Tom Harkin when he retires at the end of the year. Braley stopped at Davenport's Great River Brewery Monday, and said he's anxious to learn who his opponent will be in November.
"When you're a Senator from Iowa, you have the same voice, the same clout as a Senator representing a state like California, which has millions and millions of people. That's why this race matters, and that's why I take it so seriously," said Braley.
Braley will face one of five Republicans vying for the Senate seat, including State Sen. Joni Ernst, Mark Jacobs, Matt Whitaker, Sam Clovis and Scott Schaben.
"The most important thing to know about me is that I'm a business guy, I have not run for elected office before, but I feel like we need some real world, common sense perspective in Washington," Jacobs told each resident.
The race has drawn national attention, partly due to some out-of-the-ordinary campaign ads from Ernst. In them, she talks about castrating pigs on the farm and rides a motorcycle to the gun range.
“They’re a little tongue-in-cheek, but it is a serious message. We have really got to get our federal spending under control, and that’s what we’re taking a little bit of a poke at,” Ernst told News 8 last month.
Iowa voters are now faced with a tough decision as they head to the polls on Tuesday.
"I want a candidate who is honest, who isn't afraid of standing up for what's right," said Davenport resident Jennifer Weyeneth.
The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. statewide.