Reform Party Loses Official Party Status

• Code of Iowa: Definition of Political Parties
• Ballot Access and Qualifications for Office

On February 17, 1999, the Iowa Secretary of State notified county auditors that as a result of the 1998 general election, the Reform Party lost its status as a recognized party under Iowa law.

The Reform Party became a recognized political party in Iowa after the 1996 general election, when presidential candidate Ross Perot won 8 percent of the vote in Iowa.

The Code of Iowa states that a party must win 2 percent of the vote for president or governor in each general election to maintain its status.  According to final, official returns from the Iowa Secretary of State, 1998 Reform Party governor candidate Jim Hennager won 5,606 votes out of 956,415 cast (0.59%).

Iowa voters may no longer register to vote as Reform.  Voters previously registered with the Reform Party had their registration changed to no party (but were at any time able to re-register with another recognized party.)  58 Johnson County voters were registered with the Reform Party at the time party status officially ended.

There was no Reform Party primary in 2000, and Reform candidates were required to seek ballot status by petition.

The Reform Party failed to regain ballot status in 2000, as presidential candidate Pat Buchanan received less than 2 percent of the statewide vote.  No Reform candidates have appeared on the ballot since 2000.

Iowa Code Section on
Status of Political Parties

43.2 "Political party" defined.

The term "political party" shall mean a party which, at the last preceding general election, cast for its candidate for president of the United States or for governor, as the case may be, at least two percent of the total vote cast for all candidates for that office at that election. It shall be the responsibility of the state commissioner to determine whether any organization claiming to be a political party qualifies as such under the foregoing definition.

A political organization which is not a "political party" within the meaning of this section may nominate candidates and have the names of such candidates placed upon the official ballot by proceeding under chapters 44 and 45.

[S13, § 1087-a3; C24, 27, 31, 35, 39, § 528; C46, 50, 54, 58, 62, 66, 71, 73, 75, 77, 79, 81, § 43.2]