Ryan Peterman

The Secretary of State’s job isn’t to grab headlines. It’s to make sure every eligible Iowan can vote, that elections are fair and secure, and that politics never gets in the way of doing the job right. I’ve met with county auditors in small towns and big cities across the state. I’ve listened to their concerns and seen how hard they work to protect the vote. They deserve a partner they can trust.

I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe in a certain kind of leadership—quiet, steady, and grounded in service. I believe our elections should be fair, secure, and accessible. And I believe that trust in democracy is something worth fighting for.

I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe in that kind of leadership—quiet, steady, and grounded in service. I believe our elections should be fair, secure, and accessible. And I believe that trust in democracy is something worth fighting for.

I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe in public service—and I believe we need more leaders who treat that responsibility with honesty, humility, and a sense of duty.For over a decade, I served our country as a Naval Officer. I led sailors overseas, worked on defense policy in the Senate, and helped develop future officers at the Naval Academy. In each of those roles, trust mattered. Integrity mattered. And I learned that institutions only work when people believe the people in charge are worthy of that belief.That’s what’s at stake in this office.The Secretary of State’s job isn’t to grab headlines. It’s to make sure every eligible Iowan can vote, that elections are fair and secure, and that politics never gets in the way of doing the job right. I’ve met with county auditors in small towns and big cities across the state. I’ve listened to their concerns and seen how hard they work to protect the vote. They deserve a partner they can trust.I’m not running to be a partisan warrior. I’m running to do the work, to serve with integrity, and to help rebuild trust in the system we all depend on.

I’m running for Secretary of State because I believe in a certain kind of leadership—quiet, steady, and grounded in service. I believe our elections should be fair, secure, and accessible. And I believe that trust in democracy is something worth fighting for.I’m not running to be a partisan warrior. I’m running to do the work, to serve with integrity, and to help rebuild trust in the system we all depend on.

Reject illegal requests for personal information held by the Secretary of State and protect Iowans' data.

• Preserve the legal threshold and protective duty.

Collect and retain only the information the Secretary of State's office genuinely needs to perform its duties.

• Preserve the data-minimization mechanism.

Regularly review data-retention, access, and cybersecurity practices and correct weaknesses before they become failures.

• Preserve all three review areas and the corrective-action commitment.

Root out government corruption that keeps Iowans from understanding public decisions.

• Preserve the anti-corruption objective without inventing enforcement tools.

Publish election guidance, directives, and significant policy changes online with plain-language explanations for voters, county officials, and businesses.

• Preserve the publication mechanism, covered materials, and intended audiences.

Improve the speed and quality of public-records responses.

• Preserve both service standards.

Maintain regular professional communication with the press and promptly correct inaccurate information, including the office's own errors.

• Preserve the cadence, professionalism, and self-correction commitment.

Visit each of Iowa's 99 counties during the term.

• Preserve the statewide scope and term-based timeframe.

Hold regular public meetings and listening sessions across Iowa.

• Preserve the recurring and statewide nature of the commitment.

Use public meetings to explain changes, answer questions, and identify problems before they become crises.

• Preserve the three stated purposes.

Meet regularly with county auditors throughout the year.

• Preserve the partner group and recurring cadence.

Provide consistent and timely guidance to every county so elections run smoothly.

• Preserve the statewide coverage and two service standards.

Coordinate with state, federal, and local partners to strengthen election security and protect Iowa businesses from fraud.

• Preserve both workstreams and all three levels of government.

Consult local officials before implementing major administrative changes.

• Preserve the consultation timing requirement.

Set response standards for calls, emails, filings, and public inquiries and track unresolved requests so residents do not have to restart the process.

• Preserve the covered request channels and tracking mechanism.

Simplify Secretary of State forms, instructions, and website content.

• Preserve all three service interfaces.

Review complaints and recurring service problems.

• Preserve the feedback and pattern-review mechanism.

Publish basic performance measures so Iowans can judge whether Secretary of State services are improving.

• Preserve the transparency mechanism and evaluation purpose.