DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — A judge has ruled that former Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett won’t appear as a candidate for Iowa governor on Republican primary ballots. The decision Thursday clears the way for Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, who will be the only GOP candidate in the June 5 contest. Six Democrats and two Libertarians are also running for governor. A state elections panel voted 2-1 last week to reject Corbett’s ballot petition because he fell eight names short of the 4,005 required. Corbett had filed a lawsuit in Polk County district court challenging the decision.

District Judge David May said the panel was correct to not count signatures that had been crossed-through by the campaign. Corbett had told reporters he’d “grab my gym bag and head for the locker room” if he lost.