To:

• The Iowa Democratic Party and Rob Sand for Iowa
• The Republican Party of Iowa and Zach Lahn for Governor
• All prospective debate sponsors, funders, venues, media organizations, and civic groups involved in the 2026 election cycle

We, the undersigned, have taken the time to read, research, and understand the real reasons Libertarian candidate Nicholas Gluba and Independent candidate Sondra Wilson were kept off Iowa's printed gubernatorial ballot.

While the strict statutory regulations currently in place do not adequately safeguard our elections from outside interference or procedural technicalities, Iowans themselves deserve and demand the opportunity to hear from all four candidates.

We call upon the major political parties, the campaigns, and all organizations hosting or funding gubernatorial forums to provide a genuine four-candidate debate cycle during the remainder of the 2026 election.

Specifically, we demand:

• All Four Active Campaigns Included: Public debates featuring Rob Sand, Zach Lahn, Nicholas Gluba, and Sondra Wilson, rather than limiting the conversation exclusively to the two major-party candidates.
• Equitable Access: Comparable speaking time, questioning, and participation rules for all four candidates across all sponsored forums and venues.
• Broad Public Access: Statewide broadcast, livestreaming, or online video formats so that voters across Iowa can watch, compare, and question each candidate's platform.
• Voter-Led Democracy: A debate process that allows the people—not political parties, administrative hurdles, or debate gatekeepers—to evaluate the candidates for themselves.

An election board or a court ruling on whose name appears on a printed ballot should not determine whose ideas Iowans are permitted to hear. The political conversation does not have to end where the printed ballot begins.

Let each candidate present their ideas, their visions, and their platforms in a comprehensive debate cycle so that Iowans can decide for ourselves which candidate we wish to vote for.

Let Rob Sand make his case.

Let Zach Lahn make his case.

Let Nicholas Gluba make his case.

Let Sondra Wilson make her case.

Then let Iowans decide!

First Amendment Political Speech & Fair Use Notice:

This graphic is being published during an active Iowa gubernatorial election controversy as an exercise of core First Amendment political speech, petitioning, election commentary, candidate identification, and public-interest advocacy concerning the integrity and inclusiveness of Iowa’s 2026 election process. The referenced candidate photographs are incorporated into a new editorial and political petition graphic for purposes of identifying the candidates and facilitating public debate concerning an ongoing election.

The use of third-party photographs is asserted in good faith as fair use under 17 U.S.C. § 107, including for criticism, comment, political discussion, and public-interest reporting. Copyright in the original photographs remains with the respective photographers and/or rights holders. No endorsement by the original photographers, publishers, or depicted candidates is implied.

Nicholas Gluba: Reference photograph published by Iowa Public Radio, June 18, 2024.
Sondra Wilson: Photograph courtesy of Sondra Wilson for Iowa Governor.
Rob Sand: Reference photograph published by Leadership Now Project.
Zach Lahn: Reference photograph published by Iowa Public Radio, Nov. 6, 2025.

This use is undertaken specifically to facilitate timely political speech and public petitioning during an ongoing election cycle, when the opportunity for voters to receive information and participate in public debate is necessarily time-sensitive.