A member of the Republican Party, he is the grandson of Iowa United States Senator Chuck Grassley.

[8][better source needed] Fellow Republican State Representative Annette Sweeney also decided to run in the district.

Grassley defeated Sweeney 61% to 39%,[9] and won a fourth term in the general election unopposed.

[18] In 2013 however, Chuck Grassley said, "[Pat] and I have never had that discussion and he's never told me that he wanted to run for the United States Senate.

[28] He graduated from Dike-New Hartford High School in 2002[29] and received an associate of arts degree in agribusiness from Hawkeye Community College in 2004.

[30] He has taken courses toward a bachelor's degree at the University of Northern Iowa, where he unsuccessfully ran for student body president.