LaBruna survives candidacy challenge
Evans doubted opponent's residency
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IOWA SOS PHOTO
Iowa Senate District 3 candidate Anthony LaBruna (left) turns in his nomination paperwork with the Iowa Secretary of State's Office.
A three-person panel confirmed on Tuesday that a candidate in Iowa Senate District 3 is indeed eligible to run for the seat.
Republican District 3 candidate Lynn Evans, of Aurelia, filed a challenge to GOP opponent Anthony LaBruna's candidacy on the grounds that LaBruna didn't have residency in Iowa for one year as required by state law. However, the State Objection Panel comprised of Secretary of State Paul Pate, Auditor Rob Sand and Attorney General Tom Miller ruled LaBruna was eligible for the November ballot, thusly upholding his candidacy and ensuring a two-person Republican primary race in District 3.
LaBruna is a native of California who attended Iowa State University before moving to Washington, D.C. Evans claimed LaBruna was residing in Florida as recently as last September, and it wasn't until redistricting occurred in late October 2021 that he returned to the Hawkeye State.
According to a report from Radio Iowa, LaBruna provided copies of a gun permit and a pay stub from Sen. Chuck Grassley's campaign to show he met the requirement of living in Iowa at least a year before the 2022 general election. LaBruna, who worked in the Trump White House, said he moved back to Iowa after the former president's 2020 loss. He lists Storm Lake as his current home address.
IOWA SOS PHOTO
Lynn Evans, of Aurelia.
Evans, a former superintendent at Hartley-Melvin-Sanborn and Alta-Aurelia, said last week in a statement announcing the objection that he would accept the panel's ruling if the challenge was dismissed.
The State Objection Panel ruled on six other primary election candidacy challenges Tuesday. All were rejected with the exception of an objection to the candidacy of Kyle Kuehl, a Republican who was trying to get on the ballot in U.S. House District 1.
Iowa Senate District 3 includes all of Osceola, O'Brien and Buena Vista counties and parts of Cherokee and Clay counties. It was formed following redistricting last fall, and no incumbent currently resides in the territory. Evans and LaBruna are the only candidates running in the district as no Democrats filed.
