Republican activist challenges Corbett nomination papers
Sec. of State, Auditor and Attorney General to review
Trending
A Republican activist has challenged the candidate petition filed last week by GOP gubernatorial candidate Ron Corbett, setting into motion a review process.
In a story published Wednesday on The Iowa Republican website, activist and author Craig Robinson of Des Moines alleged Corbett's petition contains dozens of duplicate names - so many the total number of non-duplicative signatures collected is below the 4,005 required by law.
Additionally, In a letter to Secretary of State Paul Pate, Robinson alleged that Corbett's petition contained 4,088 signatures, but 103 of them are duplicates or triplicates.
"Because the duplicate signature does not count, that leaves Mr. Corbett with 3,985 signatures," wrote Robinson, that's not enough to qualify for the ballot."
To get on the ballot, candidates are required to submit a petition to the Secretary of State's Office containing the prescribed number of signatures from Iowa voters. Corbett filed that petition Friday in his bid to challenge incumbent Republican Gov. Kim Reynolds for the June 5 primary.
On Wednesday, Pate's office confirmed in a press release Robinson filed the challenge, and said a review process will begin. That review could conclude with Corbett qualifying, or not qualifying to be on the ballot.
"A review board will convene soon, likely next week, made up of the Secretary of State, the State Auditor and the Attorney General," said Pate's office. "The challenger and the candidate or his campaign will have the opportunity to state their case and present evidence. The board will review all the evidence and issue a decision."
Corbett, 57, is a former Cedar Rapids mayor who has been campaigning aggressively for nine months, crisscrossing the state in an effort to convince Republicans he is better suited to carry the Republican banner against a Democrat nominee than Reynolds.
Corbett was being interviewed at the Times-Republican Wednesday afternoon when he was given a copy of Robinson's letter to Pate.
"I am not going to throw any of my staff under the bus," Corbett said after reading the letter and before departing for the Secretary of State's office to look into the situation. "But you rely on people to do certain things."
Late Wednesday the Corbett campaign issued a press release in response to Robinson's challenge.
"The Corbett campaign is supported by thousands of Iowans who believe they should have a choice at the ballot box," it said. "Our campaign collected more than the required number of signatures in the required number of counties and we are confident an official review next week will find in our favor. Establishment insiders with deep ties to Gov. Reynolds have tried everything they can think of to derail Ron's campaign and protect the status quo. This is their latest attempt to prevent a fair and open primary."
Times-Republican interview
Corbett said it is time for new leadership and new ideas.
He also expressed frustration, with less than 80 days before the primary, Reynolds had yet to respond to his challenge issued last week of holding eight debates.
Corbett said Reynolds has also not responded to several media outlets request for debates.
"It is not just me that suggests there be debates, but The Des Moines Register and several television stations," he said. "She has not responded to their requests either. I think that short-changes citizens. In Iowa we like to 'kick the tires.'
With millions in her war chest, name recognition, and endorsements from leading Republicans, her campaign advisors may not want to risk the exposure even one debate offers.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette's Todd Dorman reported last month that Reynolds, as the nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010, declined to debate then-Lt. Gov. Patty Judge. In 2014, she declined debating again, this time against Democratic lieutenant governor nominee Monica Vernon.
If he wins the primary and the November general election, Corbett said he has specific plans to tackle some of the state's biggest challenges, from the cumbersome Iowa tax code to water quality to Medicaid.
"The state's tax rate is too high and is discouraging local business expansions and new businesses coming into Iowa," said Corbett. "Our income tax rate that is not competitive. (It is) 8.98 percent. We are a slow growth state, 70 of 99 counties are losing population. So people have heard the stories of people changing their address to Tennessee, Florida, Texas, Arizona, Nevada … states with no income tax. It is brushed off as a weather issue. But if you look at South Dakota … Dakota Dunes, there is a lot of wealth that has left northwest Iowa. That has hurt our state budget. We have to be more welcoming as a state, and that means a more welcoming income tax code."
Corbett said he is in favor of a flat tax of 3 percent.
"Get rid of the deductions and special interests that clutter up our tax code," he said. Use the tax code for growth. It all begins with sound fiscal policy."
Corbett wants to see more done to address water quality.
"We're in support of the 3/8 penny (increase in state the state sales tax rate) to fund the (Iowa Department of Natural Resources) Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund," he said.
"The Medicaid program is in trouble," he said. "It was top-down policy by the Branstad administration … recipients are not getting benefits and providers have taken out lines of credit to meet payroll … they are not being reimbursed quickly. And recipients are not getting the services they need."
Gov. Reynolds even said, 'mistakes were made,' said Corbett.
His solution: Dump the three out-of-state managed care companies and replace them with an in-state consortium.
--------
Contact Mike Donahey at 641-753-6611 or mdonahey@timesrepublican.com