A state panel reviewing a challenge to gubernatorial candidate Eddie Andrews’ nominating petitions postponed its decision Tuesday morning, extending proceedings to allow additional time for review and clarification of the submitted materials.
The hearing, conducted by Iowa’s State Objection Panel, comprised of Secretary of State Paul Pate, Attorney General Brenna Bird, and Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig (State Auditor Rob Sand recused himself), centered on whether Andrews submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures across the required counties to qualify for the ballot.
The objection to Andrews’ petitions was filed by David Bush of West Des Moines. Bush did not appear at the start of the hearing.
FYI: the challenge to Andrews’ nominating petitions did not arise in a vacuum. It was brought by an ally of the @adamsteen campaign, underscoring the increasingly aggressive dynamics of the #iagov race. pic.twitter.com/fS5XfrQZXX
— Iowa Field Report.com (@IAFieldReport) March 24, 2026
During the proceedings, panel members and staff walked through specific county-level challenges, including Clayton, Harrison, and Clarke counties.
A key point of contention during the hearing was whether Andrews’ campaign had adequate and timely access to the materials used to challenge the signatures. Andrews and his team indicated they did not receive a fully annotated version of the objections in advance, making it difficult to identify which specific signatures were being questioned in real time.
Secretary of State Paul Pate noted that campaigns are responsible for maintaining copies of their own filings, stating that the information could have been accessed earlier. Andrews responded for the record that his team received communication after business hours on Friday, March 20, while they were actively campaigning and did not have the opportunity to review the materials in advance.
At several points, the discussion highlighted the challenges of tracking alleged duplicate or invalid signatures without clear, pre-marked documentation. Andrews’ team appeared to work through the objections as they were presented, at times without full context for comparison.
The panel ultimately chose to delay a final ruling until Wednesday morning at 8 a.m., allowing additional time for review.
If the objection is upheld, Andrews could be disqualified from the ballot based on signature requirements, a technical but critical component of Iowa’s candidate qualification process.
The challenge itself has also drawn attention. Following the hearing, Andrews told WHO-TV,
“Well, we don’t know whose team they are from, but I know that Adam Steen’s team has called me twice and told me that they would be challenging even before we had submitted the numbers… We stood right there, and he said he was going to challenge us before we submitted even one name, and I think you guys know the back end of that story. Trust me, there’s much more to this story and why we had 800 signatures missing in the first place.”
Bush, the individual who filed the objection, has known connections within Iowa conservative political circles. Public records show he has donated to the campaign of Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Steen, and Facebook friends with Steen and his wife, Kasey. Observers have also pointed to overlap between those involved and networks aligned with conservative commentator Steve Deace, advising the Steen campaign, whose political network has been active in similar efforts. Together, those connections add context to what might otherwise be a routine ballot access dispute.
Steen’s campaign was contacted for comment regarding any involvement or knowledge of the objection. We will update this story if we receive a response.
UPDATED:
At Wednesday morning’s continuation of the hearing at the State Capitol, the panel heard additional arguments before ultimately ruling unanimously that Andrews met the statutory requirements to qualify for the ballot. The objection’s filer, David Bush, was present and raised further challenges to specific signatures and counties, including Pottawattamie County. A key dispute centered on whether the county designation appeared on an original petition sheet. While it was not visible on Bush’s copy, Secretary of State staff produced the original document during the hearing, confirming the county was properly listed and allowing those signatures to stand.
Bush also challenged several addresses as falling outside county boundaries, though he provided no supporting documentation during the hearing. Secretary of State Paul Pate emphasized the need for verifiable evidence in such claims, referencing prior proceedings where documentation substantiated similar objections. With those issues resolved, the panel determined Andrews had submitted a sufficient number of valid signatures across the required counties.
Following the decision, the room broke into applause as Andrews and his supporters reacted to the outcome. Speaking with reporters afterward, Andrews described the process as challenging but said he was grateful for the panel’s review and ready to move forward with his campaign.
Andrews again told reporters that, prior to the filing deadline, he had multiple interactions with representatives connected to the Steen campaign regarding his candidacy. According to Andrews, he was contacted several times and told that if “was not going to join team Steen,” his petition signatures would be challenged. He said those conversations included both direct outreach from campaign staff and a call from candidate Adam Steen himself. Andrews said he declined those requests and proceeded with his filing.
