Republican candidate for governor Rep. Eddie Andrews spoke at a GOP fundraiser Thursday and accused Adam Steen, one of his primary election opponents, of lying about his campaign’s involvement with challenging Andrews’ place on the ballot.
“When you get caught in a lie, and then you issue a statement … besmirching my name, then I think that’s an issue of heart and not a mistake of mind,” Andrews said in his speech at the Polk County GOP’s Lincoln Dinner. “I think if the first words out of your mouth are not, ‘I resign from the candidacy,’ then I think your team needs to — I think you need some other counseling.”
Andrews was nearly kicked off the primary ballot this week after a Steen campaign donor, David Bush, challenged his ballot paperwork. The State Objection Panel ultimately determined that Andrews submitted just enough voter signatures to qualify for the ballot.
Steen’s campaign first accused Andrews of making false claims about their involvement and said Bush’s “decision to file a challenge was made independently.” According to the Secretary of State’s Office, Steen’s campaign staffers were the only people who requested copies of Andrews’ ballot paperwork.
In a new statement Thursday evening, Steen said while Bush “did pursue this challenge on his own accord, by providing the petitions to Mr. Bush, it is clear that statement was misleading and there will be internal communication, changes and accountability for those actions.”
Steen did not mention the incident in his speech at the fundraiser, but he responded to Andrews’ comments when speaking with reporters after the event.
“When you start to gain momentum, when you start to take the lead, those behind you try to fight and punch to get up on your platform,” he said. “The last thing I’m going to do is bother myself with any of these little weird arguments.”
Steen said his campaign reviewed the filings of all the candidates in the GOP primary for governor. It’s a common practice for campaigns to scrutinize the ballot paperwork of their opponents and challenge them if they find problems with the signatures that were submitted.
Andrews told reporters that lying is a character flaw that the next governor shouldn’t have.
“If he had honor, he would drop out,” he said.
Three other Republicans are running for governor, including Zach Lahn. The businessman and farmer mentioned Andrews at the end of his speech.
“Mr. Eddie Andrews, it is an honor to be in this fight with you, to have you alongside as a candidate for governor of Iowa,” he said.
Former state Rep. Brad Sherman did not mention Andrews in his speech, though he issued a statement Thursday accusing Steen of using “dirty tricks and deceitful statements” to try to remove Andrews from the ballot.
Iowa's 4th District U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra was not at the fundraiser because he was working in Washington, D.C.
“I can assure you that I will always cast my vote in support of President Trump and the America First agenda, and I’ll never let Iowa become California, Illinois or Minnesota,” Feenstra said in recorded remarks.
Primary election day is June 2. The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand in the general election.
Gov. Reynolds urges Republicans to ‘show up’ for 2026 election
Other speakers at the fundraiser emphasized the need for Republicans to unite in support of GOP candidates after the primary election.
Gov. Kim Reynolds said it’s critical for Republicans to win the governor’s race. Even though she’s not on the ballot, Reynolds said she will be on the campaign trail to help Republicans win. She said it won’t be easy, but far more Iowa voters are registered as Republicans than as Democrats.
“We have the record. We have the numbers,” Reynolds said. “The only way that we see a Rob Sand win is if we don’t show up. Because if we show up, we will win. So get motivated, be excited, make it happen and we win.”
