Ron Corbett ended his Republican campaign for governor this morning after a Polk County District Court rejected his effort to be added to the GOP primary ballot.

Former Cedar Rapids Mayor Ron Corbett may not have collected enough signatures to qualify for the GOP primary ballot for governor. Craig Robinson, publisher of The Iowa Republican blog, filed a challenge with the Secretary of State’s office today after scrutinizing copies of Corbett’s nominating papers.

Craig Robinson is among the go-to Republicans for national press covering the Iowa caucuses. His insights are partly informed by a wealth of experience: as a staffer on Steve Forbes’ presidential campaign before the 2000 caucuses, as political director of the state GOP during the year before the 2008 caucuses, and as publisher of The Iowa Republican blog since 2009.

One salient fact rarely, if ever, makes it into the news stories quoting Robinson about prospects for Republican contenders in Iowa: his company Global Intermediate has been paid to do direct mail for or against certain candidates in the field.