The 1984 United States Senate election in Iowa was held on November 6, 1984. Incumbent
Republican Senator
Roger Jepsen ran for re-election to a second term in office. Jepsen was opposed by U.S. Representative
Tom Harkin, from
Iowa's 5th congressional district, who won the
Democratic primary uncontested. The general election was full of mudslinging and personal attacks, including the embellishment by both candidates of their military records; Harkin attacked Jepsen for failing to keep his promise to not sell
AWACS aircraft to
Saudi Arabia.[1] Ultimately, Harkin defeated Jepsen by a comfortable margin of nearly 12 points, winning the first of five terms in the Senate.