Attorney Roxanne Conlin (D) has taken formal steps to organize a 2010 campaign against five-term Sen. Chuck Grassley (R).

Conlin, a former president of the nation’s trial lawyers association, announced Monday that she has filed paperwork to initiate her campaign, which also released a video that focused on her Iowa upbringing and her reasons for running for Senate.

“Taking on the special interests has been the cause of my life,— Conlin said. “I’m running for U.S. Senate to take this fight to Washington.—

Conlin didn’t specifically mention Grassley in her video, though the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee issued a statement charging that Grassley “has carried the water for Washington’s special interests.—

Conlin will become the frontrunner in a Democratic primary that presently includes two little-known state legislators, Bob Krause and Tom Fiegen. She last appeared on an Iowa ballot in 1982, when she narrowly lost a gubernatorial race to Terry Branstad (R).

Grassley, 76, has not faced serious Democratic opposition in any of his Senate re-election campaigns. He had $4.4 million in his campaign account as October began.

A Daily Kos/Research 2000 survey taken Oct. 12-14 had Grassley leading Conlin 51 percent to 39 percent.