Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand and Republican U.S. 4th District Rep. Randy Feenstra submitted thousands of signatures from Iowa voters Monday to get on the ballot for the June 2 primary election for governor.
Sand turned in 24,756 signatures to the Iowa Secretary of State’s Office, which he said breaks the state record for petition signatures for any elected office.
State law requires candidates to collect at least 3,500 signatures to get on the ballot for statewide office, including 100 signatures from 19 different counties.
Sand said more than one-fifth of the signatures came from no-party voters and Republicans. He said this is proof that his campaign has momentum, and it shows Iowans are interested in a new direction for the state.
“In fact, we are very close to 100 signatures in all 99 counties for this,” Sand said. “So that we’re showing not just strength in heavily populated areas, but no matter where you live in the state of Iowa, you’ve got neighbors that signed to help us get on the ballot here.”
Sand has held 100 town hall events across the state each year as state auditor, and he said he will start this year’s tour in the summer.
Feenstra, who has been seen as the likely frontrunner in the GOP primary for governor and outraised the rest of the Republican field last year, said he submitted more than 7,500 signatures.
He said he has made about 80 stops across the state in his campaign for governor, even as he has so far declined to join the other Republican candidates at forums and debates.
“It’s listening to people, listening to Iowans, making sure that I’m earning every single vote,” Feenstra said. “And then also telling them this great vision of where we want to take this state, to take the state to new heights.”
Feenstra recently launched a seven-figure ad campaign. The TV ad claimed Sand would join Democrats in Congress who refused to stand during the State of the Union address when President Donald Trump asked lawmakers to stand if they agree that, "The first duty of the American government it to protect American citizens, not illegal aliens.”
Sand’s campaign said Feenstra’s campaign was lying. A week before Feenstra’s ads were announced, Sand appeared on Simon Conway’s show on WHO radio and said he would have stood up and applauded in agreement with Trump’s statement.
Sand said Feenstra should revisit the Bible's Ninth Commandment.
“Thou shalt not bear false witness,” he said.
When asked to respond, Feenstra did not directly address the accusation that his ad lied about Sand. Instead, he called Sand “an extreme liberal.”
Sherman was the first governor candidate to file for the ballot
Republican Brad Sherman filed paperwork to get on the GOP primary ballot for governor last Monday.
He said he has been to all 99 counties and submitted more than 9,000 signatures.
“We feel like we have some momentum, and we’re out there in the grassroots, working hard and we’re just having a blast falling in love with Iowa all over again,” Sherman said.
When asked what sets him apart from the other GOP candidates, Sherman highlighted his broad range of work experience — as a pastor, real estate developer and one-term state representative — and his grassroots political activism. He also said he was the first Republican candidate to get in the governor’s race, even before Gov. Kim Reynolds said she wouldn’t run for reelection.
Republicans Adam Steen, state Rep. Eddie Andrews and Zach Lahn have been campaigning for governor, and Democrat Julie Stauch also launched a campaign last year.
Candidates for state and federal offices have until March 13 at 5 p.m. to submit paperwork to the secretary of state to get on the ballot.
