An Iowa Democratic Senate contender has been blocked from appearing on the June 7 primary ballot after determining her campaign failed to secure enough valid signatures.
Judge Scott Beattie sided with Republican petitioners and determined some of the signatures procured by Abby Finkenauer’s campaign were not properly dated, rendering them invalid. Finkenauer has signaled she will appeal the ruling, which has frustrated her bid to unseat incumbent Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley.
“This misguided, midnight ruling is an outrageous and partisan gift to the Washington Republicans who orchestrated this meritless legal action,” Finkenauer said in a statement obtained by the Washington Examiner. “We are exploring all of our options to fight back hard against this meritless partisan attack, and to ensure that the voices of Iowans will be heard at the ballot box.”
Finkenauer’s campaign claimed she accumulated over 5,000 signatures — 1,500 signatures more than what was required for the nominating petitions to appear on the ballot. Prospective candidates are required to submit at least 3,500 signatures, but they have to hit 100 in 19 Iowa counties.
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Her campaign had 100 signatures in Allamakee County and 101 in Cedar County. But Republican petitioners successfully challenged one signature in Allamakee County and two in Cedar County for either not having a date or having the incorrect date, which takes her below the county signature requirement.
A state panel previously dismissed the challenge last month, determining the date when the signatures were given was clear due to the surrounding signatures and cited past precedent in its rationale, the Des Moines Register reported. Beattie countered that the law was clear that signatures need a “date indicating when it was signed” and “does not say that the date may be inferred or extrapolated from the context.”
“The Court takes no joy in this conclusion. This Court should not be in the position to make a difference in an election, and Ms. Finkenauer and her supporters should have a chance to advance her candidacy,” Beattie wrote.
“However, this Court’s job is to sit as a referee and apply the law without passion or prejudice. It is required to rule without consideration of the politics of the day. Here the Court has attempted to fulfill that role,” he added.
The clock is ticking on appeals, with the secretary of state’s office insisting it needs a decision to be made by April 15 in order to finalize ballots. Military and overseas voters are required by law to receive ballots by at least 45 days prior to the election, which is April 23 for the June 7 primary, per the Des Moines Register.
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Beattie was appointed to the state Judicial District 5 court, which covers Polk County, by Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds. Iowa’s highest court is the Iowa Supreme Court, in which six of the court’s seven justices were appointed by Republican governors.
Finkenauer served one term in the House but lost reelection to Rep. Ashley Hinson in 2020.
