Secretary of State 2026 — Iowa Voter Guide

About the Office

The Iowa Secretary of State is Iowa's chief elections officer and business registration officer, elected to a four-year term. The office administers federal and state elections, certifies election results, maintains voter rolls, registers businesses, and oversees the state's notary public program.

In plain terms: this office decides how Iowa elections are administered — voter ID requirements, mail-in ballot rules, early voting periods, and which technology counties use for voting. It also processes every business filing in the state.

Race at a Glance

Incumbent

Pate (R)

Term Length

4 Years

Pate's Current Term

4th

Election Day

Nov 3, 2026

Paul Pate is the longest-serving Secretary of State in Iowa history. Ryan Peterman, a 34-year-old former Navy helicopter pilot and Naval Academy graduate, won the Democratic nomination.

The Candidates

Each candidate's positions are drawn from primary sources: campaign communications, voting records, debates, and direct interviews.

Paul Pate (R)

Republican incumbent · Iowa Secretary of State (4 non-consecutive terms)

Bio

Born in 1958. Lives in Marion, Iowa. Served as Mayor of Cedar Rapids 2002-2006. Has held the Secretary of State office across four terms (1995-1999, 2015-present).

Career

Small business owner. Served as Iowa State Senator, Mayor of Cedar Rapids, and Iowa Secretary of State across multiple non-consecutive terms. Authored Iowa's Voter ID law enacted in 2017.

Primary Issues

Voter ID & Election Integrity

Authored and continues to defend Iowa's Voter ID law. Has championed voter list maintenance and citizenship verification programs.

Business Registration Modernization

Modernized Iowa's business filing system; emphasizes ease of starting and registering a business in Iowa.

Election Administration Security

Emphasizes cybersecurity for Iowa's elections infrastructure and county-level election training programs.

Position on Peterman's Priority Issues

2024 Noncitizen Voter Challenge

In late 2024, sent counties a list of 2,176 potential noncitizen voters to challenge. A federal court ruled the timing violated federal law. Pate defended the action as election integrity.

Expanded Early Voting Access

Has not prioritized expanding early voting periods, which were shortened under Iowa's 2021 election law.

Endorsements

Republican Party of Iowa

Ryan Peterman (D)

Democratic nominee · U.S. Navy veteran · Former helicopter pilot

Bio

Age 34. Graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. Former Navy helicopter pilot. Currently lives in central Iowa.

Career

Served as a Navy helicopter pilot after graduating from the Naval Academy. Transitioned to civilian life and entered Iowa politics. Endorsed by Democrats Serve, an organization supporting veteran candidates for office.

Primary Issues

Expanding Voter Access

Wants to restore longer early voting periods and make voter registration easier; opposes voter list purges and noncitizen challenge programs he views as voter suppression.

Election Integrity Without Restriction

Frames election security and voter access as complementary, not opposing, goals.

Restoring Trust in Elections

Argues partisan election administration erodes public trust; wants to depoliticize the office.

Position on Pate's Priority Issues

Voter ID Laws

Opposes the current Voter ID law as written; supports easier accommodations for voters without IDs.

Business Registration

Has not made business registration a major campaign issue; supports continued modernization.