Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate announces the filing period for state and federal candidates has come to a close. A total of 249 candidates submitted their nominating petitions to the Secretary of State’s Office. “I applaud all the candidates who have taken the bold step to enter the political arena,” Secretary Pate said. “Putting yourself out there to be vetted by your fellow citizens requires courage. Running for office is all about public service and I hope all Iowans will participate in the process to choose the best representatives possible.”

Four candidates have filed the necessary paperwork, qualifying to compete in June’s Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate. Former Lieutenant Governor Patty Judge of Albia, State Senator Rob Hogg of Cedar Rapids and two former legislators who ran for the U.S. Senate in 2010 are hoping to win their party’s 2016 nomination. The winner will challenge long-time Republican U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley in November.

Republican and Democratic candidates for federal office as well as the state legislature faced a deadline Friday. They had to file enough petition signatures in the Secretary of State’s office to qualify for their party’s June Primary ballot. Three of Iowa’s four congressional districts will have primaries.

Republican Congressman Steve King faces a challenge from fellow Republican Rick Bertrand, a state senator from Sioux City. In the third congressional district, three central Iowa Democrats — Desmond Adams, Jim Mowrer and Mike Sherzan — are running in a primary. Two Democrats filed the paperwork to run in Iowa’s first congressional district.

The race between Cedar Rapids City Councilwoman Monica Vernon and former Iowa House Speaker Pat Murphy of Dubuque is a rematch from two years ago. Five Democrats competed in a primary then. Murphy won, but lost to Republican Rod Blum. Blum, Republican Congressman David Young of Van Meter and Congressman Dave Loebsack, a Democrat from Iowa City, are all seeking reelection. Dr. Christopher Peters of Iowa City filed to run as a Republican in Loebsack’s district, but state officials say they’re waiting for him to submit the original rather than a copy of one form before confirming he has qualified for the ballot.

All 100 seats in the Iowa House and 25 of the 50 seats in the Iowa Senate are on the ballot in 2016. NO incumbent from either party in the Iowa Senate who is seeking reelection faces a primary challenge, but there are NINE incumbents in the House who must defeat a primary challenger in order to seek reelection in the fall.

The full list of candidates whose petitions have been received and accepted is available on the Secretary of State’s website at this link: https://sos.iowa.gov/elections/pdf/candidates/primarycandidatelist.pdf.

(Radio Iowa)