PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (June 1st, 2026)
Libertarian Candidates Nicholas Gluba and Thomas Laehn to File Petitions for Statewide Ballot Access
Des Moines, IA (06/1/2026) – Libertarian gubernatorial candidate Nicholas Gluba and U.S. Senate candidate Thomas Laehn will submit petition signatures to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office on Tuesday, June 2, at 11:00 a.m., marking a major milestone in their efforts to provide Iowa voters with a principled alternative in the November election.
Gluba will submit approximately 7,500 signatures gathered from voters across the state—more than double the 3,500 signatures required for gubernatorial ballot access. Iowa law also requires at least 100 signatures from voters in at least 19 counties, requirements the campaign has exceeded.
The signatures were collected through a statewide grassroots effort involving volunteers and supporters in communities across Iowa. The filing underscores the growing number of Iowans who want an alternative to the same two parties that have dominated Iowa politics for generations.
“While Republicans and Democrats are buying their seats with out-of-state money, I am earning mine the Iowa way — putting miles on the car, miles on the boots, and meeting voters across this state,” said Gluba.
Laehn will submit nearly 10,000 signatures at the Secretary of State’s Office. Laehn’s petition filing will formally place his U.S. Senate campaign before Iowa voters, offering a real alternative for the growing number of Iowans who are frustrated with business as usual in Washington. With congressional approval at 10%, according to an April 2026 Gallup poll, Laehn’s campaign speaks directly to voters who are tired of sending the same two parties to Washington and getting the same results.
“I am not running against the Republican candidate. I am not running against the Democratic candidate,” Laehn said. “I am running against the two-party system itself.”
Members of the media are invited to attend the petition filing.
Event Details
What: Ballot access petition filing by gubernatorial candidate Nicholas Gluba and U.S. Senate candidate Thomas Laehn
When: Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 11:00 a.m.
Where: Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, State Capitol Building, Des Moines, Iowa
About the Candidates
Nicholas Gluba is the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Iowa. A USMC veteran and City Council member from Lone Tree, Gluba brings a record of public service at both the military and local government levels.
Thomas Laehn is the Libertarian candidate for the United States Senate and currently serves as Greene County Attorney, a position he was first elected to in 2018. Laehn made history as the first Libertarian elected to public office in Iowa and was reelected in 2021.
Both candidates are committed to advancing individual liberty, reducing government overreach, and expanding opportunity for all Iowans.
The Libertarian Party of Iowa is committed to America’s heritage of freedom: individual liberty and personal responsibility, a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity, a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade.
For media inquiries or additional information, please contact:
Libertarian Party of Iowa
Email: info@lpia.org
Phone: (515) 423-0093
