DES MOINES, IOWA (August 13, 2026) — The Libertarian Party of Iowa has selected Jake Heard as its candidate for US House of Representatives in Iowa’s Third Congressional District and Charlie “Chuck” Aldrich (below) as the new Libertarian candidate for lieutenant governor on Nicholas Gluba’s gubernatorial ticket.
The Libertarian Party of Iowa State Central Committee filled both ballot vacancies through the process established under Iowa election law.
Heard was selected following Marco Battaglia’s withdrawal from the congressional race due to a medical emergency. Aldrich will replace Jules Cutler as Gluba’s running mate.
"We are grateful to Marco Battaglia for stepping forward to give voters in Iowa’s Third Congressional District a Libertarian choice," said Stephanie Berlin, chair of the Libertarian Party of Iowa.
"Our thoughts are with Marco and his family during this time, and we wish him the very best as he focuses on his health. We appreciate his commitment to our party and his willingness to serve. We are confident Jake Heard will continue this campaign with the same commitment to individual liberty, constitutional rights, and accountable government that Iowans expect from Libertarian candidates."
Heard is a Des Moines-based criminal-defense attorney with experience in both government and private practice. Since entering private practice in 2023, he has represented clients facing criminal charges throughout Iowa while advocating for constitutional rights and fair treatment under the law.
Before practicing law, Heard spent six years working in the Iowa Legislature, including serving as Chief of Staff to the President of the Iowa Senate. His experience in state government provided firsthand knowledge of the legislative process, statutory interpretation, and public policy.
In 2024, Heard was the Libertarian candidate for the Iowa House of Representatives, campaigning on principles of limited government, individual liberty, fiscal responsibility, and government accountability.
Berlin also thanked Cutler for her work on behalf of the Gluba campaign and the Libertarian Party of Iowa.
"Jules has given an extraordinary amount of time and energy to this campaign and to our party," Berlin said.
"As a dedicated, longtime member of the Libertarian Party of Iowa; including multiple-time former chair, she played an important role in getting the Gluba campaign on the ballot and stood with the ticket throughout the challenges to its candidacy. We are deeply grateful for everything Jules has done, and we look forward to continuing to have her as part of the Libertarian movement in Iowa."
Aldrich is a longtime Libertarian activist, engineer and resident of Clarion, Iowa. He has run for public office multiple times, including as a write-in candidate for US House in Iowa’s Fourth Congressional District in 2024 and 2018, Iowa House District 56 in 2022, and US Senate in 2016. His years of grassroots activism and experience as a candidate bring a strong commitment to individual liberty and Libertarian principles to the Gluba campaign.
The campaigns will announce additional events and voter outreach opportunities in the coming days.
The Libertarian Party of Iowa is committed to America’s heritage of freedom: Individual liberty and personal responsibility, a free-market economy of abundance and prosperity, a foreign policy of non-intervention, peace, and free trade. Find out more at lpia.org.
