Republican incumbent Paul Pate is running for a fifth term against Democratic challenger and U.S. Navy veteran Ryan Peterman for Iowa secretary of state.
The candidates are uncontested in Iowa’s June 2 primary election and will advance to the Nov. 3 general election.
To help voters, the Des Moines Register sent questions to federal, state and Des Moines area legislative candidates running for political office this year. Their answers have been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Read below to learn more about the candidates and where they stand on key issues:
Who is Paul Pate?
Who is Ryan Peterman?
What would be your top issue if elected?
Pate (R): At the heart of everything I do is TRUST: in our elections, our programs, and in business services. We will continue to build trust in elections through a layered approach to election integrity: paper ballots, equipment testing, post-election audits, and voter ID. We must ensure voter participation and election integrity fuel each other. Both are equally important to trusted elections. We will continue to provide service at the speed of business, not the speed of government, and fight for programs that protect survivors of violent crimes and raise awareness about the impacts of these crimes.
Peterman (D): The right to vote is our most foundational right in a democracy. My top priority as secretary of state would be protecting Iowans’ right to vote and preserving confidence in our elections. Iowans deserve a system that is secure, accessible, and administered fairly. That means enforcing the rules, telling the truth, and making sure every eligible voter can participate without unnecessary barriers. The office should be a source of confidence for the public, not confusion or division. We can, and must, have elections that are both secure and accessible.
What steps would you take as secretary of state to ensure all eligible Iowans can vote?
Peterman (D): The secretary of state’s job is to make voting secure, accessible and easy to understand for every eligible Iowan. That means working closely with county auditors, making sure voters have clear information, restoring our longer early-voting window, and protecting mail-in voting for those who rely on it, including service members, seniors, rural communities, and working Iowans. I will also work to make Election Day a holiday, to increase participation and help recruit more poll workers. Our democracy is strongest when every eligible voter can participate and every lawful vote is counted.
Pate (R): Election integrity and voter participation are not mutually exclusive. They fuel each other. Iowans can begin early voting 20 days before an election — 170 hours of voting. Any voter can request an absentee ballot by mail. Under my watch, we have expanded voting for military and youth voters. Seventeen-year-olds can now register to vote and vote in primary elections. Military and overseas voters now have up to 120 days to request, receive and return absentee ballots. We have seen strong voter participation during my terms. I will continue to champion policies that balance integrity and participation.
How would you ensure Iowa’s election system remains secure from manipulation and fraud?
Pate (R): Our layered approach to election integrity protects elections at every level: paper ballots, pre-election testing, cyber and physical security measures, training election officials and partnerships at all levels of government. Our vulnerability disclosure program (launched 2020) allows us to mitigate potential vulnerabilities before attackers can exploit them. In 2022, we matured our program by adding a bug bounty program, the first state election office in the nation to launch such a program. During my terms, our cybersecurity measures have won national awards.
Peterman (D): Election security requires competence, preparation and honesty. I would work closely with county auditors to improve training, standardize procedures and address problems before they become crises. I stand by commonsense measures like voter ID, paper ballots and reliable tools for maintaining up-to-date voter rolls. But I also think the secretary of state has an obligation to level with the public: voter fraud is rare, and trust in our elections is not strengthened by exaggeration. It is strengthened by enforcing the law, following the facts and telling the truth.
Do you support federal involvement in running state elections? Please explain.
Peterman (D): Iowa’s elections should be run in Iowa, by Iowans. State and local election officials are closest to the people they serve, and they are best positioned to administer elections fairly and effectively. I do not support one-size-fits-all mandates from Washington that ignore the needs of our state. My focus would be on making sure Iowa’s elections are secure, accessible, and worthy of the public’s trust.
Pate (R): The U.S. Constitution is clear: States run elections. Part of our security efforts involve partnerships at every level of government, for security and threat monitoring, training purposes and voter list maintenance. We have partnerships with the FBI, State Department of Homeland Security and county emergency managers, to name a few. These partnerships will continue to be important in protecting and securing elections at every level.
Nick El Hajj is a reporter at the Register. He can be reached at nelhajj@gannett.com. Follow him on X at @nick_el_hajj.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Hear from the candidates running for Iowa Secretary of State
Reporting by Nick El Hajj, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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