Republican U.S. Senate candidate Christopher Reed said today that he liked his chances against incumbent Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Cumming) because the Senate could "use a little less experience right now."

He said the main difference between him and others who have challenged Harkin is that he's a party outsider.

"Nobody expected me to win the primary race because I wasn't a part of the political machine of Iowa," he said. "I'm just the average Iowan looking to represent Iowans the way the houses were created by our founders. Iowans have a real chance this November to actually put a representative in Washington who's one of them."

Reed said he is "focusing on the grassroots" and has visited more than 60 of Iowa's 99 counties since July.

"I've been meeting and greeting voters, I'm not just doing Republican venues," he said. "I want the independents out there to also know that there's a choice this year."

Saying that voters want someone who "really knows what it means to live in Iowa," Reed said Harkin is no longer the voice to speak for everyday Iowans.

"Harkin is out of touch with Iowans," he said. "He hasn't lived in Iowa for years. He represents elites."

Reed issued a challenge to Harkin, saying he'd debate him "anytime, anywhere, anyplace."

Reed also said he was concerned that Iowa's flood recovery would be put on the back burner now that the Gulf Coast has been hit by hurricanes. He said that situation has only been exacerbated by "Iowa being underrepresented" during the August congressional recess.

"I think that our representation recessed prematurely," he said. "We have a few Democrat congressmen who came back from recess early who should have been able to speak to their leadership and explain to them the importance."

Listen to an interview with Reed, conducted by IowaPolitics.com's Mike Schramm and James Lynch of the Cedar Rapids Gazette

-- By Mike Schramm and Matt Clark

Labels: RNC2008