Libertarians running for governor and for the U-S House have asked a judge to intervene so their names may appear on the November ballot. The Iowa Secretary of State says the Libertarian Party did not properly nominate replacement candidates in those two races. Libertarian Jake Heard, an attorney from Urbandale, is hoping to get cleared to run against Republican Congressman Zach Nunn and Democrat Sarah Trone Garriott in the third district.
Republicans successfully challenged Marco Battaglia’s paperwork to be the Libertarian candidate in the third congressional district, arguing he should be running under his legal name, Mark Andersen. A judge is expected to rule by the end of this week if Heard will be able to run in the district instead.
Heard says blocking third party candidates from the ballot preserves a failing two party-system.
Nicholas Gluba, a Libertarian who collected over eight-thousand petition signatures to run for governor this year, is also challenging his removal from the ballot. Gluba’s original running mate was disqualified due to missed paperwork and Libertarians met online earlier this month to nominate another person for lieutenant governor.
Gluba and Heard made their comments during speeches at the Des Moines Register’s Political Soapbox at the State Fair. Two other Libertarian candidates have qualified for the November election. Greene County Attorney Thomas Laehn is running for the U-S Senate and Rick Stewart of Cedar Rapids is running in Iowa’s second congressional district.
