GOP Gov Primary Gets Nastier as Adam Steen Tries — and Fails — to Get His Opponent Kicked Off the Ballot
DES MOINES – Iowa’s Republican gubernatorial primary just keeps getting nastier, with a new petition signature challenge by an ally of Adam Steen throwing the race into complete chaos.
Steen’s camp tried and failed to kick GOP rival Eddie Andrews off the ballot this week, with a supporter who “donated $5,000 to Steen’s campaign” and has connections to Steen’s campaign advisors and his family filing a botched challenge to Andrews’ signatures. In today’s ballot challenge hearing, Andrews claimed that Steen tried to bully him out of running for governor, saying that “Steen and his campaign staff contacted him three times, threatening to challenge his petition signatures” if he did not drop his bid and join Steen’s campaign.
Steen’s spokesperson confirmed their failed pressure campaign, saying “we did previously extend an invitation for Eddie Andrews to join Team Steen.”
Randy Feensta’s top advisor also weighed in on Steen’s botched challenge, calling it a “disgusting tactic” and mocking Steen by saying “call your office, you have a problem! 3x trying to bully [Andrews] off the ballot and when that fails you have a person who donated $5k to your campaign challenge his petitions, but Eddie wins and your disgusting behavior loses! #EddieLives.”
From Iowa Democratic Party spokesperson Terra Hernandez:
“Adam Steen’s failed attempt to bully Eddie Andrews off the ballot is exactly the kind of corrupt backroom dealing that Iowans hate about politics. If Steen resorts to cheating and lying just to intimidate his competition, what kind of corruption would he bring to the governor’s office? This race gets nastier by the day while these candidates keep reminding us why they’re all unfit to be Iowa’s next governor.”
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