The Iowa Libertarian congressional candidates will not appear on the state ballots in November after a decision by the State Objection Panel, comprising Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, Attorney General Brenna Bird, and Auditor Rob Sand. The panel voted 2-1 to uphold challenges to three Libertarian candidates: Nicholas Gluba, Marco Battaglia, and Charles Aldrich. The challenges were filed by Republican voters who claimed that the Libertarian Party of Iowa did not hold valid county conventions for nominating the candidates in accordance with state law.
Iowa Libertarian Party Chair Jules Cutler expressed plans to appeal the decisions in court and campaign as write-in candidates if the appeals are unsuccessful. Sand argued that the objectors did not have standing to file the challenges and that the panel should err on the side of keeping candidates on the ballot to allow electors to express their preferences.
The panel’s decision was based on Iowa law prohibiting caucuses and county conventions from occurring simultaneously. Pate emphasized the importance of enforcing election laws consistently and encouraged candidates to understand the requirements for running a successful campaign.
While the Libertarian Party had previously lost major party status, it regained it in 2022. The panel’s decision highlights the obligations that come with major party status, including compliance with Iowa Code in nominating candidates. The Libertarian Party faced criticism for not following exact procedures but maintained that the nominating process was conducted with necessary compliance for candidates to appear on state ballots.
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