A state panel will reconvene tomorrow to determine whether Eddie Andrews has qualified to run in the Republican Primary for governor.
Andrews, one of five GOP candidates who’ve been campaigning for governor, said he didn’t see a Friday night email notifying him there had been objections to dozens of signatures on his nominating petitions and only learned Monday morning that his candidacy might be in jeopardy. As the three members of the State Objections Panel spent 90 minutes reviewing the challenges to petition signatures, Andrews and his attorney repeatedly said he wasn’t given enough time or all the documents he needed to prepare for today’s hearing.
“I jokingly say, you know, it would have been better to had they accused us of stealing a Snickers bar so you actually have weeks to prepare and look at evidence,” Andrews said. “…A very interesting process that we have here, but I do think we’re going to prevail here and I fully expect to be the next governor. We’ll see how this happens.”
Andrews told the State Objection Panel he hasn’t filed a police report, but he said an intern stole nominating petitions from five counties, so he and campaign volunteers scrambled right up to the filing deadline to make up for that. “We live in America and we should be finding every opportunity to hear the voices of our citizens,” Andrews said, “and thousands of Iowans…from every one of the 99 counties signed their name for my nomination petition in good faith.”
Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate told reporters Andrews was given proper notice, but the delay in the hearing gives Andrews time to go over the challenged signatures and prepare responses. “It’s all about math, you know, counting,” Pate said. “I respect this as someone who’s a candidate myself, when you’re doing nominating papers a lot of hard work goes into it. You’ve got a lot of volunteers who are out there doing things to help you get on the ballot, but you have to do your due diligence, too, and that speaks to any candidate, not just Mr. Andrews. You look for the duplications and it’s a lot of work when you have that many signatures.”
Candidates for governor must submit at least 35-hundred signatures on nominating petitions and there must at least 100 signatures from 19 different counties.
In other action today, the State Objection Panel accepted challenges to the nominating petitions Democrat Xavier Corrigan submitted for the third district congressional primary. Corrigan said accepts that he did not qualify for the ballot. “I’m not in here for some big fight,” Corrigan said. “You’re not going to get some big pushback from me.”
Corrigan indicated his campaign spent less than $3000 to get the signatures on his nominating petitions — and fell a handful short. “I am here to show the American people in his country that it can be done,” Corrigan said, “and all it would have taken was a little bit more effort on my part.”
The decision means Sarah Trone Garriott is unopposed and will be Democrats’ nominee to face Republican Congressman Zach Nunn in the General Election.
The State Objection Panel rejected a challenge and ruled State Senator Mike Bousselot of Ankeny is eligible to run in a GOP Primary for a state senate seat. it did accept two other challenges, ruling that Republican Eric Pearson of Ankeny did not submit 100 valid petitions signatures on his petitions to run for state senate and Democrat James Gadson of Cedar Falls will not be able to run for a seat in the Iowa House. At least 50 valid signatures are required to run for the Iowa House.
