In the race for Iowa’s third district, the ballot access of a candidate for the Republican Party in Congress is being challenged

Des Moines, Iowa – In Iowa, a Libertarian candidate in one of the nation’s most competitive Congressional contests is facing questions about his validity.

A pair of Republican voters lodged a protest with Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate’s office regarding Libertarian Candidate Marco Battaglia’s inclusion on the ballot in the 3rd Congressional District of Central Iowa.

The Wapello County GOP chairperson, Trudy Caviness, and the co-chair of the Republican Party of Iowa’s District Executive Committees, Elaine Gaesser, are the objectors in the lawsuit. Alan Ostergren, a political and electoral lawyer and the founder of the conservative public-interest law firm The Kirkwood Institute, is the lawyer representing the objectors.

The Libertarian Party garnered enough votes following the general election of 2022 to be listed as a major party on the ballot for 2024.

Parties must have held precinct caucuses by February 26 in order to become major parties. Parties are then required to organize county conventions to choose delegates to the district and state conventions.

According to the allegation, there were no county conventions held. As per the complaint, “it seems that the Libertarian Party of Iowa proceeded directly from a few county caucuses to a state convention that aimed to propose a candidate for the Third Congressional District.”

The complaint claims the party lacks a legitimate organizational structure because it has not had county conventions.

It would be difficult for the Iowa Libertarian Party to argue that county conventions for the purpose of choosing delegates could not be held. They just did not comply,” the complaint claims.

The objectors claim that by pursuing major party status, the party assumed organizational responsibilities; but, by not fulfilling these obligations, they are prevented from fielding a candidate for office.

If they are not followed, there will be repercussions. The identities of those who attended the alleged district nomination convention remain a mystery. The complaint claims that the Libertarian Party of Iowa has no authority to put a candidate’s name on the ballot since it cannot claim that those people are representative of its members.

The case contends that the Libertarians lack the ability to select a candidate for the race because they disregarded the regulations governing major parties.

Moreover, the objection argues that neither a Libertarian candidate nor a candidate receiving enough write-in votes to be chosen as the party’s nominee had filed to run in the 3rd District by the time the state board of canvassers convened on July 1. A certificate of vacancy for the position was released by Pate’s office. On July 29, Battaglia certified to Pate’s office that the nomination had taken place during the party convention on June 8.

“I called my opponents to see if they wanted to set up debates and then a couple of days later I got this notice,” Battaglia said in a statement.

Ashley Hunt, a representative for Pate’s office, has stated that a hearing is scheduled for late August or early September. Candidates are welcome to attend the hearing and present their cases; it is open to the public. Attorney General Brenna Bird, State Auditor Rob Sand, and Secretary Pate make up the three members of the objection panel.