Secretary of State Paul Pate wins reelection in close race

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate held on to win reelection over his Democratic challenger, Ryan Peterman, the Associated Press projected, with final precincts reporting early Wednesday.

Pate, a Republican had received 53% of the vote to 47% for Peterman in unofficial results, with 100% of precincts reporting.

Pate won a fifth consecutive term in the office after previously serving a term from 1995-1999. He’s a former state senator and former mayor of Cedar Rapids, as well as the owner of Pate Asphalt.

In his reelection campaign, Pate touted his work to ensure election integrity, including supporting Iowa’s voter I.D. law and calling in 2024 for local elections officials to flag more than 2,100 registered voters identified as potential noncitizens based on information provided as long as 12 years previously to other government entities.

Peterman, a U.S. Navy veteran, was making his first run for public office. He had criticized Pate for voluntarily turning over personal voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice. The federal agency has since moved to sue 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to turn over similar information, so far without success in court.

Both Pate and Peterman said on “Iowa Press” in October that Iowa’s 20-day window for early voting, reduced from 40 days, is too short and should be expanded.