Secretary of State Paul Pate leads Democratic challenger Ryan Peterman

Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate was leading his Democratic challenger, Ryan Peterman, as results continued to trickle in early Wednesday.

Pate, a Republican had received 52% of the vote to 48% for Peterman in unofficial results, with 91% of precincts reporting. The Associated Press was tracking the race but had not called a winner.

Pate was seeking a fifth consecutive term in the office after previously serving a term from 1995-1999. He’s a former state senator and former mayor of Cedar Rapids, as well as the owner of Pate Asphalt.

In his reelection campaign, Pate touted his work to ensure election integrity, including supporting Iowa’s voter I.D. law and calling in 2024 for local elections officials to flag more than 2,100 registered voters identified as potential noncitizens based on information provided as long as 12 years previously to other government entities.

Peterman, a U.S. Navy veteran, was making his first run for public office. He had criticized Pate for voluntarily turning over personal voter data to the U.S. Department of Justice. The federal agency has since moved to sue 30 states and the District of Columbia for refusing to turn over similar information, so far without success in court.

Both Pate and Peterman said on “Iowa Press” in October that Iowa’s 20-day window for early voting, reduced from 40 days, is too short and should be expanded.