2026 Iowa Secretary of State election

2026 Iowa Secretary of State election
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November 3, 2026 (2026-11-03)
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Nominee Paul Pate Ryan Peterman
Party Republican Democratic
Incumbent Secretary of State

Paul Pate
Republican


The 2026 Iowa Secretary of State election will take place on November 3, 2026, to elect the Secretary of State of Iowa, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, governor, and other state and local elections. Primary elections were held on June 2, 2026.

Incumbent Republican secretary Paul Pate is running for re-election to a fifth overall and fourth consecutive term in office.

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

  • Paul Pate, incumbent secretary of state (1995–1999, 2015–present)

Results

Republican primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Paul Pate (incumbent) 183,807 99.6
Write-in 827 0.5
Total votes 184,634 100.0

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Endorsements

Ryan Peterman
Organizations

Results

Democratic primary results
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Ryan Peterman 176,658 99.8
Write-in 438 0.3
Total votes 177,096 100.0

General election

Predictions

Source Ranking As of
Sabato's Crystal Ball Lean R September 9, 2026

Polling

Poll source Date(s)
administered		 Sample
size		 Margin
of error		 Paul
Pate (R)		 Ryan
Peterman (D)		 Undecided
Change Research (D) September 11–14, 2026 704 (LV) ± 3.9% 42% 40% 18%

Results

2026 Iowa Secretary of State election
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Paul Pate (incumbent)
Democratic Ryan Peterman
Write-in
Total votes 100.0

Notes

  1. ↑ Key:
    A – all adults
    RV – registered voters
    LV – likely voters
    V – unclear
Partisan clients
  1. ↑ Poll sponsored by Peterman's campaign

References

  1. ↑ "Candidate information for Primary Elections". Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  2. ↑ Geer, Caleb (June 14, 2025). "'We're not done yet': Paul Pate announces reelection plans for Iowa Secretary of State". We Are Iowa. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  3. ↑ Judson, Norah (June 14, 2025). "Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate says he'll seek a fifth term in office in 2026 election". Des Moines Register. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  4. ↑ Murphy, Erin (June 14, 2025). "Pate running for another term as Iowa's top elections official". The Gazette. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
  5. ↑ Opsahl, Robin (May 20, 2025). "Democrat Ryan Peterman launches bid for Iowa secretary of state". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
  6. ↑ "Ryan Scott Peterman". votevets.org. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
  7. ↑ Jacobson, Louis (August 7, 2025). "Previewing the 2026 Secretary of State Races". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 10, 2026.
  8. ↑ Kronenberg, Courtney (September 17, 2026). "Iowa Secretary of State Race is a Tossup". Change Research. Retrieved September 30, 2026.

Official campaign websites