Opening day to submit nominating papers for Iowa’s 2024 Primary Ballot

DES MOINES — Three of the Iowa Republicans who serve in the U-S House have filed their nomination papers for the June Primary on the opening day the lists of petition signatures are being accepted.

Congresswoman Ashley Hinson of Marion collected far more than the 1726 minimum required for U.S. House candidates to qualify for the primary ballot. “I am submitting more than 7500 signatures today which I think is a strong showing of our level of grassroots support and the network we have built in the second congressional district,” Hinson told reporters.

Republican Congressman Zach Nunn of Bondurant submitted more than 10,000 signatures on his nominating petitions for the third congressional district race and Republican Congresswoman Mariannette Miller-Meeks, who’s seeking reelection in Iowa’s first congressional district, submitted her nominating papers, too.

Secretary of State Paul Pate, Iowa’s top election official, said Nunn was the first candidate to file when the office opened at 8 a.m. and several candidates for the state legislature have submitted their paperwork Monday morning.

“They’ve got ’til March 15 to get their petitions filed here and I encourage people to do it earlier not late because things can happen,” Pate said. “Our staff now will be reviewing the petitions to make sure they have the right count.”

Candidates with the bare minimum number of signatures run the risk of having a rival campaign review the petitions and challenge the validity of some signatures. In 2018, Ron Corbett — a Republican candidate for governor — was ruled ineligible for the June Primary due to a lack of signatures. In 2022, a challenge of Abby Finkenauer’s nominating petitions for the Democratic party’s U.S. Senate Primary went all the way to the Iowa Supreme Court.