The Iowa Secretary of State’s staff has reviewed nominating petitions and released the list of candidates who’ve been accepted for the 2026 Primary Elections.
Candidates for U.S. Senate and governor must submit at least 3500 signatures from eligible Iowa voters, including at least 100 signatures in 19 different counties. Democrat Julie Stauch short in two counties. State Auditor Rob Sand now has a clear path to the Democratic Party’s nomination for governor. All five Republicans who’ve been running for governor did meet the signature threshold. They are State Representative Eddie Andrews, Congressman Randy Feenstra, businessman Zach Lahn, pastor Brad Sherman and former state agency director Adam Steen.
Iowans can file challenges this week and the state objection panel may remove candidates from the ballot list if flaws are found in their nominating petitions.
There were few surprises in Iowa’s congressonal races. Republican Chris McGowan will be unopposed in the fourth district GOP Primary. At one time there were four other Republicans campaigning in the district, which is currently represented by Feenstra, who’s running for governor. Democrats Dan Dawson of Lawton, Stephanie Steiner of Sutherland and Ashley WolfTornabane of Storm Lake have been accepted for the Primary ballot in the fourth district.
In the third district, Xavier Corrigan filed on the last day to run against state Senator Sarah Trone Garriott for the Democratic Party’s nomination. Republican Congressman Zach Nunn is unopposed in the third district, but Republican Congresswoman Marianette Miller-Meeks has a primary rematch with pastor David Pautsch in the first district. Democrat Christina Bohannan of Iowa City, making her third bid to oust Miller-Meeks, has a primary opponent: health care worker Travis Terrell of Tiffin.
In Iowa’s second congressional district, there are three Democrats on the Primary list: State Representative Lindsay James of Dubquue, pastor Clint Twedt-Ball of Cedar Rapids and Kathy Dolter, a nurse from Dubuque. The district is currently representated by Republican Congresswoman Ashley Hinson, who’s running for the U.S. Senate. Joe Mitchell of Clear Lake, a former state legislator, and state Senator Charlie McClintoch (muh-KLIN-talk) of Alburnette are competing in the G-O-P primary in the second district.
Iowa’s U.S. Senate race is set with Congresswoman Hinson and former state legislator Jim Carlin in the GOP primary and Democrats Josh Turek and Zach Wahls, who are both current members of the Iowa legislature, competing for their party’s nomination for the U.S. Senate.
Secretary of State Paul Pate said nearly 300 candidates have been approved for the primary elections on June 2. There are elections this year in half of the 50 state senate districts and in all 100 House districts. Candidates for county offices have until this Friday to file their nominating petitions.
