Libertarian Party of Iowa Nominates Replacement Ballot Candidates

The Libertarian Party of Iowa will hold a virtual meeting on Wednesday, August 12, to nominate replacement candidates for the lieutenant governor position and Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District. The party must finalize these nominations by August 14 to ensure the candidates appear on the November ballot.

The move follows a June decision by the State Objections Panel to remove original candidates Marco Battaglia and Julia Cutler from the ballot. A Polk County District Court judge upheld these removals in late July, citing Cutler's failure to file a required affidavit of candidacy and a discrepancy between Battaglia's legal name, Mark T. Anderson, and his candidate name.

While both candidates initially challenged the rulings, Battaglia withdrew from the race due to a medical emergency and Cutler ended her campaign. This leaves gubernatorial candidate Nicholas Gluba without a running mate. To facilitate the replacement process, the party's State Central Committee amended its vacancy protocol on August 9, reducing the required nomination vote from a three-quarters majority to a simple majority. Chair Stephanie Berlin noted that the revised protocol must be filed with the secretary of state before the nominations can proceed.