Iowa Supreme Court Disqualifies Libertarian Candidates

The Iowa Supreme Court has ruled that three Libertarian congressional candidates will not appear on the November ballot due to procedural violations in their nomination process. The court upheld a lower court's decision that the Libertarian Party of Iowa failed to comply with state law regarding the timing of county conventions, specifically conducting them just 181 minutes early. Candidates Nicholas Gluba, Marco Battaglia, and Charles Aldrich plan to run write-in campaigns as they challenge the ruling, which was prompted by objections from Iowa Republicans. The ruling is significant as it could benefit Republican candidates in two competitive districts, where previous elections were decided by narrow margins. Experts note that independent candidates often siphon votes from major parties, particularly from Republicans in this case. The implications of this decision raise concerns about the influence of third-party candidates in close races.