Des Moines, Iowa — The Libertarian Party of Iowa announced today that it will appeal portions of the State Objection Panel’s decisions regarding the eligibility of Libertarian candidates for the November 2026 general election ballot.The LPIA is pleased that the panel unanimously rejected the challenge to congressional candidate Rick Stewart in the 2nd District, affirming that Iowa voters will have a Libertarian choice this November. Secretary of State Paul Pate noted that using a common shortened name like “Rick Stewart” is standard and would not confuse voters.

At the same time, the LPIA strongly disagrees with the panel’s 2-1 decision — with the two Republican members voting to remove candidates and the Democrat dissenting — to remove the Gluba-Cutler gubernatorial ticket and 3rd Congressional District candidate Marco Battaglia from the ballot. The Libertarian Party of Iowa intends to seek immediate judicial review.

These challenges follow months of dedicated grassroots work. After LPIA Chair Stephanie Berlin called on Iowans to circulate nominating petitions this spring, volunteers collected a record number of signatures across the state. The Gluba-Cutler ticket alone submitted more than 8,000 valid signatures — well above the statutory requirement.

“The Libertarian Party of Iowa believes elections should be decided by voters, not by procedural challenges brought after thousands of Iowans have already demonstrated their support,” said Libertarian Party of Iowa Chair Stephanie Berlin. “Our candidates followed the process, built real campaigns, and earned their place on the ballot.”

The objection to the Gluba-Cutler ticket centered on whether Lt. Governor candidate Jules Cutler submitted an affidavit of candidacy by the June 2 filing deadline. Cutler testified, supported by her attorney, that she was informed the document was not required when she accompanied gubernatorial candidate Nicholas Gluba to file paperwork with the Secretary of State’s office on June 2.

In the 3rd District, the challenge to Marco Battaglia — a musician and podcaster widely known professionally under that name, who has appeared previously on multiple Iowa ballots under the same name — was filed by a campaign adviser to incumbent Republican Rep. Zach Nunn. Battaglia was also reportedly pressured by Nunn and others to withdraw before the challenge was filed.

The national Libertarian Party has pledged its full support. “The national Libertarian Party will use all available methods and resources to defend Libertarian candidates in Iowa,” said National Chair Evan McMahon.

Berlin added: “Iowans of every background rolled up their sleeves and put these candidates on the ballot the right way, one signature at a time. Now that we have earned our place fair and square, we will not allow these efforts to be ripped away. Iowa voters deserve a real choice.”

The LPIA expects to file appeals in the coming days and will provide updates as the legal process moves forward.

Press Contacts
For further details, please reach out to:

Libertarian Party of Iowa
info@lpia.org
(515) 423-0093