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Secretary of State — Iowa 2026
2 candidates on the November 3, 2026 general election ballot (official Iowa Secretary of State list, as of October 29, 2026). Grades reflect each candidate's public record on life, family, religious liberty, the Second Amendment, limited government and fiscal responsibility.
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Candidates
BPaul D. PateRepublican
Candidate for Secretary of State (Republican).
LifeAFamilyBReligious libertyB2nd AmendmentBLimited gov’tBFiscalB
Listed on Iowa Right to Life's 2026 A+ questionnaire list; iVoterGuide rates him Conservative.
- Life: On Iowa Right to Life's 2026 questionnaire A+ list (IRTL notes this is not an endorsement).
- Family: No specific positions found; Republican rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
- Religious liberty: No specific positions found; Republican rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
- 2nd Amendment: No NRA-PVF rating found; Republican rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
- Limited gov’t: No specific positions found; Republican rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
- Fiscal: No specific positions found; Republican rated Conservative by iVoterGuide.
DRyan PetermanDemocratic
Candidate for Secretary of State (Democratic).
LifeDFamilyDReligious libertyC2nd AmendmentCLimited gov’tDFiscalD
No explicit positions found; iVoterGuide rates him Liberal.
- Life: No explicit pro-life positions found; running as Democrat suggests pro-choice alignment.
- Family: No explicit positions found on marriage, family or parental rights; Democratic platform alignment suggested.
- Religious liberty: No specific religious-liberty record or statements found.
- 2nd Amendment: No specific Second Amendment record or rating found.
- Limited gov’t: No explicit positions found on school choice or deregulation; Democratic platform alignment suggested.
- Fiscal: No explicit tax or spending positions found; Democratic platform alignment suggested.
Sources: [1]
More Iowa 2026 races
United States Senator · Governor and Lieutenant Governor · Auditor of State · Treasurer of State · Secretary of Agriculture · Attorney General