Republicans in Iowa got a blow this week as a third-party candidate they were hoping to get off the ballot in the Senate contest remains standing — and poses a threat to their nominee, Rep. Ashley Hinson.
Laura Belin of the progressive site Bleeding Heartland broke down the implications for Meidas Touch correspondent Scott MacFarlane.
"We know for sure that the Libertarian candidate, Thomas Laehn, is on the ballot for U.S. Senate. They couldn't find any reason to challenge any of his nominating papers," said Belin. "So he is there, and I think it could be significant."
The real problem for Republicans, she noted, is that after Hinson won her primary, her main challenger, far-right candidate Jim Carlin, told his supporters he "cannot in good conscience ask you to vote for Ashley Hinson" because she "does not share our values and a Republican label is not enough."
Carlin got just about 26 percent of the primary vote, Belin noted, but if even a small fraction of those voters go for Laehn on the ballot, it could be a problem for Hinson as she fends off her Democratic rival, state Rep. Josh Turek.
"I don't know if it's two percent or five percent or what percent could see the libertarian name on the ballot as a possible landing place," said Belin. "And we've just seen in Iowa elections that when there is a Libertarian or third party candidate on the ballot, they often are getting two percent of the vote, plus or minus."
All of this comes as Democrats go all in on the governor contest, where state auditor Rob Sand is facing off against far-right businessman Zach Lahn. Lahn is currently trying to fend off accusations he only lives in Iowa on a "part-time" basis.