DES MOINES – Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate has released the final list of candidates for the June 2, 2026 primary elections. The deadline for candidates for state and federal offices in the Democratic and Republican primaries to submit their nomination petitions and affidavit of candidacy was Friday, March 13 at 5:00 p.m.
The Iowa Secretary of State’s office has a team that reviews paperwork and nomination petitions, counting signatures. Nomination petitions undergo two separate reviews to verify the count.
“There were nearly 300 Democratic and Republican candidates who qualified for the ballot this June, and I want to congratulate them for meeting the threshold and seeing their hard work pay off,” said Secretary Pate. “My staff takes the review process very seriously, and I want to thank them for their meticulous work over the past few weeks to ensure that this part of the elections process is completed accurately and transparently.”
Candidates for U.S. Senate and Governor must have signatures of at least 3,500 eligible Iowa voters, and at least 100 signatures must come from 19 different counties. Candidates for statewide offices such as Secretary of State, Auditor of State, Treasurer of State, Secretary of Agriculture, and Attorney General must receive at least 2.500 signatures from eligible Iowa voters, and at least 77 signatures must come from 19 different counties. Candidates for State Senator and State Representative must receive 100 (Senator) and 50 (Representative) signatures, respectively, from eligible voters in the district.
The Iowa Secretary of State’s staff completed the final review of all candidates on Monday, March 16.
