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At State Fair, DeJear Focuses On Growing Voter Turnout

deidre dejear
John Pemble
/
IPR
Democratic candidate for Iowa Secretary of State Deidre DeJear speaks about increasing voter turnout at the Iowa State Fair Friday, August 10, 2018.

Secretary of State candidate Deidre DeJear told state fair-goers Friday she wants all eligible voters in Iowa to have access to the ballot box.

DeJear is a Democrat challenging Republican Secretary of State Paul Pate in the November election.

She said her grandmother in Mississippi saw the sacrifices made when people of color and women were seeking the right to vote.

“And so when I stand in 2018 and I see that people are carving folks out of the voter process, I don’t want to stand on the sideline,” DeJear said. “Because I believe in all of the sacrifices that were made for people to exercise their right to vote.”

She also said if she’s elected, she wants to promote resources for small businesses.

“We need to love on them and make sure they are equipped to do business in our state, to thrive in our state, and create jobs in our state,” DeJear said.

DeJear is a small business owner who helps other small businesses with marketing and financial strategies. The secretary of state’s office oversees business registration.

DeJear has worked to mobilize hard-to-reach voters for President Obama’s campaigns and managed Des Moines school board campaigns. She is also the first African-American candidate to be a major party nominee for statewide office in Iowa.

Pate, DeJear’s opponent, is scheduled to speak at the fair’s Des Moines Register soapbox Tuesday afternoon.

Pate is implementing Iowa’s new voter ID law, part of which is held up in court because of a legal challenge.

After her soapbox speech, DeJear told reporters she didn’t mention the voter ID law because there’s so much uncertainty with the ongoing legal challenge.

“When you’re thinking about someone’s most fundamental right to vote and you’re changing how people practice doing that, and you’re not contributing the education that’s necessary, I think you’re doing Iowans a disservice,” DeJear said.

Katarina Sostaric is IPR's State Government Reporter