2026 Iowa Secretary of State election
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 Pate: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Peterman: 50–60% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Iowa |
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The 2026 Iowa Secretary of State election took 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 won 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
| 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
- Ryan Peterman, former legislative assistant to Jeanne Shaheen
Endorsements
Ryan Peterman
- Organizations
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 | Tossup | October 29, 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
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Pate (incumbent) | 711,768 | 53.2 | −6.85 | |
| Democratic | Ryan Peterman | 625,867 | 46.8 | +6.92 | |
| Total votes | 1,337,635 | 100.0 | |||
Notes
- ↑ Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- ↑ Poll sponsored by Peterman's campaign
References
- ↑ "Candidate information for Primary Elections". Iowa Secretary of State. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ 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.
- ↑ Murphy, Erin (June 14, 2025). "Pate running for another term as Iowa's top elections official". The Gazette. Retrieved November 4, 2025.
- ↑ Opsahl, Robin (May 20, 2025). "Democrat Ryan Peterman launches bid for Iowa secretary of state". Iowa Capital Dispatch. Retrieved September 19, 2025.
- ↑ "Ryan Scott Peterman". votevets.org. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ↑ Jacobson, Louis (October 29, 2026). "The Outlook for State Attorneys General and Secretaries of State". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved October 29, 2026.
- ↑ Kronenberg, Courtney (September 17, 2026). "Iowa Secretary of State Race is a Tossup". Change Research. Retrieved September 30, 2026.
External links
Official campaign websites