Libertarian Gluba joins race for Iowa 1st District

The Libertarian Party of Iowa has a candidate running in the state’s 1st Congressional District this November.

Nicholas Gluba of Lone Tree said at a time when Democrats and Republicans have high unaffordability ratings among Iowans, the Libertarian Party offers a different perspective.

“Libertarians come from a very wide base,” Gluba said. “If you are on your property or in your home, do what you need to do to make your life better, so long as it does not hurt anyone else.”

Gluba works as a production lead at the Whirlpool facility in North Liberty and as a chef for Price Creek Event Center in Amana. Working two jobs, he said he understands the challenges facing families as they try to make ends meet.

He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during Operation Iraqi Freedom and said the economic realities of the country should push lawmakers towards less intervention abroad.

“I don’t want my children and my constituents’ children to have to fight in another war. Because I saw that first hand, nobody else needs to ever see that again,” Gluba said. “The United States has people here who need money, that need the United States to be backing them, and not backing foreign wars.”

He is also critical of Iowa's use of eminent domain for carbon sequestration pipeline projects.

The Libertarian Party had a comparatively good showing in the 2022 gubernatorial election. That year, the Libertarians ran Rick Stewart and Marco Battaglia for the Governor-Lieutenant Governor ticket. The pair carried 2.37% of the vote, which cleared the all-important recognition threshold for the party, meaning this year Libertarians could participate in primary elections and be included as an option for Iowans on voter registration forms.

To maintain its recognized status, at least 2% of Iowans will have to pull the lever for Libertarian Presidential nominee Chase Oliver of Georgia.

“The way I see it, I’m not peeling the votes off anybody. I’m gaining the votes of my constituents to give them a voice,” Gluba said.

Gluba enters the race with incumbent Republican Representative Mariannette Miller-Meeks and challenger Democrat Christina Bohannan.

A Libertarian Party candidate has never won statewide or federal office in Iowa history.