Candidate · November 3, 2026
Thomas Laehn
On the ballot for U.S. Senate · Iowa
- raised through Oct 14, 2026
- $61K
- cash on hand
- $9,035
- issues with public statements
- 7
- outside spending for or against
- $428K
§1On the ballot
Why this matters: This is exactly how the candidate appears on your ballot, from the state's official candidate list.
| Office | U.S. Senate · Iowa1 |
|---|---|
| Party on the ballot | Libertarian1 |
| Status | Open seat — no incumbent is running for this seat. |
| Also on the ballot |
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§2Who they are
Why this matters: Background and experience help you judge how someone might do the job. These come from public records and the candidate's own materials.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Laehn grew up in Allison, Iowa, where his father was a pastor; his mother was a school librarian in a nearby town.2 He studied at Drake University, Louisiana State University and The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, then spent four years as a university professor teaching American government, political philosophy and constitutional law.2 He earned a law degree from the University of Iowa, moved to Jefferson and was elected Greene County Attorney, winning re-election as a Libertarian in 2022.2 His campaign website says he is the first Libertarian in Iowa history to win a partisan elected office.2
Why they say they're running
His campaign website says he is running against the two-party system itself and wants to return political power from the parties to the people of Iowa.3,
Websites and accounts
- Campaign websitelaehn4iowa.org3
§3What they've said on the issues
Why this matters: These are positions the candidate has stated publicly — on their campaign website or in public statements — summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Issues they haven't spoken about publicly are left out.
Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.
Each issue has its own range of views. A position is marked on that range only when the candidate's own statement clearly matches one option; there is no overall left–right score.
Elections and Government Reform
His campaign website says he would sponsor legislation to end what it calls the corrupting role of PACs and super PACs in elections.4
- Limit spending by outside groups, including by amending the Constitution to overturn Citizens United
- Keep spending unlimited but require groups to name their major donors
- Keep current rules
- Raise or remove limits on donations to candidates and parties
Foreign Policy and Defense
His campaign website says he would work to bring troops home and to block wars started by presidents without the consent of Congress.4
- Let the president order military action without needing Congress's approval
- Let the president act first, but enforce the 60-day limit and end any action Congress doesn't approve
- Require Congress to approve military action in advance, except to defend against an attack
Taxes and Budget
His campaign website says he would vote against every funding measure that would increase the national debt, except in an extreme national emergency.4
His campaign website says he would fight for a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution.4
- Add a balanced budget requirement to the Constitution
- No amendment; limit spending by law instead, such as with spending caps
- No constitutional requirement or new spending limits
Immigration
His campaign website says he would fight for a secure border and to raise or eliminate caps on the number of people who can immigrate legally.4
- Admit more immigrants, such as by adding work visas or clearing family backlogs
- Keep green cards and work visas near recent levels
- Admit fewer immigrants than in recent years
- Pause most new legal immigration for a time
Abortion and Reproductive Health
His campaign website says Congress should have no role in regulating abortion and that abortion policy should be left to the states.4
- A national law making abortion legal in every state, at least until viability, as under Roe v. Wade
- Leave abortion law to each state
- A national law limiting abortion (for example, after 15 weeks of pregnancy)
Crime, Policing and Prisons
His campaign website says the first bill he would introduce would decriminalize the possession and use of marijuana.4
§4Money
Why this matters: Campaigns report where their money comes from and how much they have left. Outside groups that spend on their own, without coordinating with the campaign, report that too.
Reported to the Federal Election Commission for the 2025–2026 election cycle, through October 14, 2026.5
| Raised | $61,146 |
|---|---|
| Spent | $66,668 |
| Cash on hand | $9,035 |
Where the money came from
Outside spending
Groups spending independently reported $427,602 supporting and $0 opposing Thomas Laehn this cycle, primary and general combined, in the 24- and 48-hour reports the law requires for larger expenditures, filed through October 25, 2026.6
| Group | Supporting | Opposing |
|---|---|---|
| OUR HERITAGE MATTERS | $303,902 | — |
| HAWKEYE LIBERTY PAC | $123,700 | — |
Smaller expenditures that appear only on a group's regular monthly or quarterly report aren't in these totals, so the full amounts can be somewhat higher. When a group amends a report, only its latest version is counted.
§5Financial disclosures
Why this matters: Federal candidates and members of Congress must report their assets, income, debts and outside jobs, and members must report stock trades. These filings show possible conflicts of interest.
Senate candidates and senators file with the Senate's own disclosure system, which asks each visitor to agree to its terms before searching, so we can't link straight to a filing. You can search for Thomas Laehn at efdsearch.senate.gov7.