Paul D. Pate is a Republican serving as Iowa's Secretary of State, the 32nd person to hold the office. A lifelong Iowa resident born in Ottumwa and raised in Linn County, he owns a paving construction firm and has been recognized as a small business leader by the Small Business Administration and a Patriotic Employer by the National Committee for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve. He lives in Cedar Rapids with his wife Jane, three children, and five grandchildren. Pate has dedicated his career to public service, guided by principles of service, participation, and integrity, and is currently in his fourth term, overseeing elections and business filings statewide.

Notable achievements include leading Iowa to top-three national rankings in election administration, breaking records for voter registration and participation, launching online voter registration in 2016, implementing Voter ID, and enacting the Safe at Home program to protect survivors of domestic violence and trafficking. He founded the Iowa Businesses Against Trafficking coalition in 2022, which grew to over 400 members quickly. Pate has received national awards for election cybersecurity, voter education, ballot access for voters with disabilities, and overseas military voting. In 2019, he was unanimously elected President of the National Association of Secretaries of State.

Education and Political Experience

• Education: Specific details on formal education are not detailed in available records.
• Political Experience:
  • Iowa Secretary of State .
  • Mayor of Cedar Rapids ; elected President of the non-partisan Iowa League of Cities.
  • Iowa State Senator , representing northeast Cedar Rapids, Marion, and parts of Linn, Buchanan, and Delaware Counties.