Iowa Secretary of State election, 2018

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2022
2014
Iowa Secretary of State
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Democratic primary
Republican primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 16, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018
General: November 6, 2018

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Paul Pate (Republican)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Voting in Iowa
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
Iowa
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Auditor
Agriculture commissioner

Incumbent Paul Pate (R) defeated Deidre DeJear (D) and Jules Ofenbakh (L) in the 2018 general election for Iowa Secretary of State.

Democratic Party For more information about the Democratic primary, click here.
Republican Party For more information about the Republican primary, click here.

For more information on secretary of state elections in 2018, click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the 2018 election, the sitting secretary of state was Paul Pate (R), who was first elected in 2014. Pate sought re-election in 2018.
  • At the time of the 2018 election, Iowa was a Republican trifecta as a result of the Republican Party gaining a majority in the Iowa State Senate in the 2016 elections. Iowa was under divided triplex control in 2018.
  • In the five presidential election cycles leading up to the 2018 election, Iowa was won by the Democratic candidate in 2000, 2008, and 2012 and by the Republican candidate in 2004 and 2016. The widest margin of victory was Barack Obama's ten percent margin in 2008 while the narrowest was Al Gore's 0.32 percent margin in 2000.

  • Candidates and election results

    General election

    General election for Iowa Secretary of State

    Incumbent Paul Pate defeated Deidre DeJear and Jules Ofenbakh in the general election for Iowa Secretary of State on November 6, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Paul_Pate1.jpeg
    Paul Pate (R)
     
    52.7
     
    685,780
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Deidre-DeJear.PNG
    Deidre DeJear (D) Candidate Connection
     
    44.9
     
    583,774
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Jules_Ofenbakh.png
    Jules Ofenbakh (L)
     
    2.4
     
    30,881
     Other/Write-in votes
     
    0.0
     
    482

    Total votes: 1,300,917
    (100.00% precincts reporting)
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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    Democratic primary election

    Democratic primary for Iowa Secretary of State

    Deidre DeJear defeated Jim Mowrer in the Democratic primary for Iowa Secretary of State on June 5, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Deidre-DeJear.PNG
    Deidre DeJear Candidate Connection
     
    51.2
     
    82,221
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Jim_Mowrer.jpg
    Jim Mowrer
     
    48.8
     
    78,409

    Total votes: 160,630
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

    Republican primary election

    Republican primary for Iowa Secretary of State

    Incumbent Paul Pate advanced from the Republican primary for Iowa Secretary of State on June 5, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of https://s3.amazonaws.com/ballotpedia-api4/files/thumbs/100/100/Paul_Pate1.jpeg
    Paul Pate
     
    100.0
     
    88,303

    Total votes: 88,303
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

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    Candidate profiles

    See also: Editorial approach to writing about key campaign messages
    Deidre DeJear, business owner
    Deidre DeJear.jpg

    Campaign website Facebook Twitter

    Party: Democratic

    Incumbent: No

    Political office: None

    Biography: DeJear attended Drake University. Her career experience includes working as the owner of Caleo Enterprise and the African American vote director for Obama for America Iowa. DeJear's organizational affiliations include Links, Inc., NAACP, and Back 2 School Iowa.[1]

    Key messages
    • DeJear opposes the voter ID law that was implemented during Pate's tenure, saying it "erects more obstacles beyond just IDs for Iowans to cast their ballots."[2]
    • DeJear says if elected, she would "ensure our voter process is secure, accessible and fair for ALL Iowans - meaning rural and urban, young and young-at-heart, those with disabilities, people with money and people without. And she will do that with the utmost integrity."[2]




    Jules Ofenbakh, attorney
    Jules Ofenbakh.png

    Campaign website Facebook Twitter

    Party: Libertarian

    Incumbent: No

    Political office: None

    Biography: Ofenbakh earned her B.S. in computer science from Kean University and her M.B.A. and J.D. from Drake University. At the time of the 2018 election, she owned a law practice.[3]

    Key messages
    • Ofenbakh's campaign messaging focused on voting processes. She said voter ID laws "impede on Iowan’s access to the voting booth and jeopardize the fairness and integrity of the voting process."[4]
    • She emphasized her background in computer science as a way to boost protection against security threats to the voting process. She said she could "implement effective computer security protocols to minimize exposure to cyber-attacks."[4]




    Paul Pate, Iowa Secretary of State
    Paul Pate.png

    Campaign website Facebook Twitter

    Party: Republican

    Incumbent: Yes

    Political office: Iowa Secretary of State (Assumed office: 2014), Mayor of Cedar Rapids (2001-2005), Iowa Secretary of State (1994-1998), Iowa State Senate (1988-1994)

    Biography: Pate earned an A.A. from Kirkwood Community College. At the time of the 2018 election, he was the president of Pate Asphalt. He has also served as the president of Premier Group Corporation and the president of Premier Group Corporation. Pate was elected as secretary of state in 2014. This followed service as Cedar Rapids mayor, his first secretary of state term, and the state Senate.[5]

    Key messages
    • Pate is campaigning on what he says are his accomplishments as secretary of state, such as helping overseas military members to vote, establishing online voter registration, instituting the Safe at Home program for survivors of violence, and bringing Voter ID to Iowa.[6]
    • Pate has also pointed to how he has committed resources to protecting Iowa voters from those outside the U.S. attempting to influence elections.[7]



    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in Iowa heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    State legislature

    • Republicans controlled both chambers of the Iowa General Assembly. They had a 58-41 majority in the state House and a 29-20 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • Iowa had a Republican trifecta, meaning that the Republican Party controlled both chambers of the state legislature and the governorship. Kim Reynolds (R) served as governor; she succeeded Terry E. Branstad, who resigned on May 24, 2017, to take the position of U.S. Ambassador to China.

    2018 elections

    See also: Iowa elections, 2018

    Iowa held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for Iowa
     IowaU.S.
    Total population:3,121,997316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):55,8573,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:91.2%73.6%
    Black/African American:3.2%12.6%
    Asian:2%5.1%
    Native American:0.3%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.1%0.2%
    Two or more:2%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:5.4%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:91.5%86.7%
    College graduation rate:26.7%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$53,183$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:13.8%11.3%
    Source: U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Click here for more information on the 2020 census and here for more on its impact on the redistricting process in Iowa.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

    As of July 2016, Iowa's three largest cities were Des Moines (pop. est. 220,000), Cedar Rapids (pop. est. 130,000), and Davenport (pop. est. 100,000).[8]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in Iowa from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from the Iowa Secretary of State website.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in Iowa every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Donald Trump 50.7% Democratic Party Hillary Clinton 41.3% 9.4%
    2012 Democratic Party Barack Obama 51.7% Republican Party Mitt Romney 46.0% 5.7%
    2008 Democratic Party Barack Obama 53.7% Republican Party John McCain 44.2% 9.5%
    2004 Republican Party George W. Bush 49.9% Democratic Party John Kerry 49.2% 0.7%
    2000 Democratic Party Al Gore 48.5% Republican Party George W. Bush 48.2% 0.3%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of U.S. Senate races in Iowa from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2016 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 60.1% Democratic Party Patty Judge 35.7% 24.4%
    2014 Republican Party Joni Ernst 51.5% Democratic Party Bruce Braley 43.3% 8.2%
    2010 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 63.4% Democratic Party Roxanne Conlin 32.8% 30.6%
    2008 Democratic Party Tom Harkin 61.4% Republican Party Christopher Reed 36.5% 24.9%
    2004 Republican Party Chuck Grassley 70.2% Democratic Party Arthur Small 27.9% 42.3%
    2002 Democratic Party Tom Harkin 54.2% Republican Party Greg Ganske 43.8% 10.4%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in Iowa.

    Election results (Governor), Iowa 2000-2016
    Year First-place candidate First-place candidate votes (%) Second-place candidate Second-place candidate votes (%) Margin of victory (%)
    2014 Republican Party Terry Branstad 58.4% Democratic Party Jack Hatch 36.9% 21.5%
    2010 Republican Party Terry Branstad 52.3% Democratic Party Chet Culver 42.8% 9.5%
    2006 Democratic Party Chet Culver 53.7% Republican Party Jim Nussle 44.1% 9.6%
    2002 Democratic Party Tom Vilsack 52.7% Republican Party Doug Gross 44.5% 8.2%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent Iowa in the U.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, Iowa 2000-2016
    Year Republicans Republicans (%) Democrats Democrats (%) Balance of power
    2016 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+2
    2014 Republican Party 3 75.0% Democratic Party 1 25.0% R+2
    2012[9] Republican Party 2 50.0% Democratic Party 2 50.0% Split
    2010 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2008 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2006 Republican Party 2 40.0% Democratic Party 3 60.0% D+1
    2004 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3
    2002 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3
    2000 Republican Party 4 80.0% Democratic Party 1 20.0% R+3

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    A state government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    Iowa Party Control: 1992-2024
    Four years of Democratic trifectas  •  Ten years of Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24
    Governor R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R
    Senate D D D D D R R R R R R R R S S D D D D D D D D D D R R R R R R R R
    House D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R D D D D R R R R R R R R R R R R R R


    Pivot Counties

    See also: Pivot Counties by state

    Thirty-one of 99 Iowa counties—31 percent—are Pivot Counties. Pivot Counties are counties that voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and for Donald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    Counties won by Trump in 2016 and Obama in 2012 and 2008
    County Trump margin of victory in 2016 Obama margin of victory in 2012 Obama margin of victory in 2008
    Allamakee County, Iowa 24.15% 4.17% 14.25%
    Boone County, Iowa 13.69% 6.64% 7.63%
    Bremer County, Iowa 13.68% 2.68% 9.31%
    Buchanan County, Iowa 15.02% 13.87% 18.48%
    Cedar County, Iowa 17.78% 4.59% 9.64%
    Cerro Gordo County, Iowa 7.66% 13.38% 20.83%
    Chickasaw County, Iowa 22.94% 11.07% 20.74%
    Clarke County, Iowa 28.02% 1.47% 2.25%
    Clayton County, Iowa 22.78% 7.03% 17.17%
    Clinton County, Iowa 5.12% 22.84% 23.03%
    Des Moines County, Iowa 6.89% 18.41% 23.04%
    Dubuque County, Iowa 1.23% 14.71% 20.77%
    Fayette County, Iowa 19.36% 11.96% 16.60%
    Floyd County, Iowa 14.84% 14.63% 21.88%
    Howard County, Iowa 20.49% 20.95% 25.78%
    Jackson County, Iowa 19.27% 16.89% 24.39%
    Jasper County, Iowa 18.13% 7.07% 7.50%
    Jefferson County, Iowa 0.47% 15.97% 20.23%
    Jones County, Iowa 19.08% 7.78% 10.40%
    Lee County, Iowa 16.02% 15.49% 16.01%
    Louisa County, Iowa 28.37% 0.64% 4.25%
    Marshall County, Iowa 8.31% 9.36% 9.35%
    Mitchell County, Iowa 24.04% 3.37% 12.31%
    Muscatine County, Iowa 6.26% 15.88% 15.64%
    Poweshiek County, Iowa 6.53% 9.35% 11.75%
    Tama County, Iowa 20.28% 7.43% 12.19%
    Union County, Iowa 27.49% 3.86% 3.70%
    Wapello County, Iowa 20.60% 11.88% 13.53%
    Webster County, Iowa 21.52% 5.84% 8.51%
    Winneshiek County, Iowa 0.79% 14.74% 22.65%
    Worth County, Iowa 21.68% 14.53% 22.42%

    In the 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump (R) won Iowa with 51.1 percent of the vote. Hillary Clinton (D) received 41.7 percent. In presidential elections between 1848 and 2016, Iowa voted Republican 69.76 percent of the time and Democratic 30.23 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, Iowa voted Democratic three times and Republican the other two times.[10]

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state House districts in Iowa. Click [show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled by Daily Kos.[11][12]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 61 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 19.1 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 35 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 18.8 points. Clinton won four districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 39 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 13.3 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 65 out of 100 state House districts in Iowa with an average margin of victory of 24.5 points. Trump won 10 districts controlled by Democrats heading into the 2018 elections.


    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Iowa secretary of state election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    See also

    Iowa government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

    External links

    Footnotes