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Deidre DeJear
Deidre DeJear (Democratic Party) ran for election for Governor of Iowa. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022.
Biography
Deidre DeJear was born in Jackson, Mississippi.[1] DeJear earned a B.A. in journalism from Drake University in 2008. Her career experience includes owning Caleo Enterprises and working as a consultant with the African American Leadership Forum of Des Moines and as the African American vote director of Obama for America Iowa.[1][2][3] She co-founded and has served as the chair of Back 2 School Iowa and has been affiliated with Links, Inc., and the NAACP.[2][3]
Elections
2022
See also: Iowa gubernatorial and lieutenant gubernatorial election, 2022
General election
General election for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds defeated Deidre DeJear and Rick Stewart in the general election for Governor of Iowa on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kim Reynolds (R) | 58.0 | 709,198 |
 | Deidre DeJear (D) | 39.5 | 482,950 | |
 | Rick Stewart (L)  | 2.4 | 28,998 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.1 | 718 | ||
| Total votes: 1,221,864 | |||
| = 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 Governor of Iowa
Deidre DeJear advanced from the Democratic primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Deidre DeJear | 99.5 | 145,555 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.5 | 801 | ||
| Total votes: 146,356 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Withdrawn or disqualified candidates
- Ras Smith (D)
- Joshua Kuhn-McRoberts (D)
Republican primary election
Republican primary for Governor of Iowa
Incumbent Kim Reynolds advanced from the Republican primary for Governor of Iowa on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Kim Reynolds | 99.0 | 185,293 |
| Other/Write-in votes | 1.0 | 1,808 | ||
| Total votes: 187,101 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
2018
- See also: Iowa Secretary of State election, 2018
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 | ||
| ✔ |  | Paul Pate (R) | 52.7 | 685,780 |
| Deidre DeJear (D) | 44.9 | 583,774 | |
 | Jules Ofenbakh (L) | 2.4 | 30,881 | |
| Other/Write-in votes | 0.0 | 482 | ||
| Total votes: 1,300,917 (100.00% precincts reporting) | |||
| = 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. | ||||
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 | ||
| ✔ | | Deidre DeJear | 51.2 | 82,221 |
 | Jim Mowrer | 48.8 | 78,409 | |
| Total votes: 160,630 | |||
| = 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 | ||
| ✔ | | Paul Pate | 100.0 | 88,303 |
| Total votes: 88,303 | |||
| = 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. | ||||
Campaign themes
2022
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Deidre DeJear did not complete Ballotpedia's 2022 Candidate Connection survey.
Campaign website
DeJear's campaign website stated the following:
| “ |
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT: In Iowa we have a skills gap, a worker shortage and continue to see a loss of jobs in our rural and urban communities. We must implement a true, comprehensive economic plan that will keep jobs here, attract new manufacturing and technology jobs, strengthen small businesses, welcome unions and their support of workers rights, ensure a sustainable wage for all Iowa families, and close the skills gap through training and education to Iowa’s untapped talent.
Voting is our most basic, democratic right and must be protected. It is time to strengthen our voting system, making it safe and accessible so ALL Iowans have equal access to the ballot box and can rightfully participate in our democracy. Iowa has always positioned itself as a leader, now is the time to lead by example and ensure the protection of all Iowans’ voting rights.
Every Iowan deserves a first class education that prepares them for a career and/or higher education. It is time to fully fund our education system at every level, including universal Pre-K and child care, affordable colleges and trade programs, and prioritizing equitable pay and benefits for Iowa educators.
Iowa is 45th in the nation in broadband speed. Our state must live up to its potential and finally become a competitive technological hub by expanding broadband, increasing speeds, and welcoming the technologically driven jobs of the future.
Access to quality affordable healthcare and mental health services is imperative. Unfortunately it is out of reach for too many, including our rural communities. The COVID-19 Pandemic has unveiled the inadequacies in Iowa’s healthcare systems; now more than ever we must make sure our healthcare system meets the needs of Iowans today and improves the future of health and wellness for every Iowan and healthcare practitioner.
Iowa has always been a place of fruitful soil and fields of opportunity. With the very pressing threat of climate change affecting our world, Iowa must move forward as a leader with an environmental justice plan that centers on protecting our rural communities, communities of color, communities with disabilities, our children and the sick. Protecting our waterways while creating good paying renewable energy jobs will enhance our lives and further strengthen our economy.
Our rural communities are integral to the success of our state. We must invest in our rural areas so that people can live in the communities they love; from sustainable farms to thriving town squares with small business development, jobs, technological upgrades, quality education and accessible health care. Neglecting the needs of rural Iowans only moves this state farther back rather than forward.[4] |
” |
| —Deidre DeJear's campaign website (2022)[5] | ||
2018
Ballotpedia survey responses
- See also: Ballotpedia's candidate surveys
Deirdre DeJear participated in Ballotpedia's candidate survey on May 15, 2018. The survey questions appear in bold, and Deirdre DeJear's responses follow below.[6]
What would be your top three priorities, if elected?
| “ | My number one priority in this office is to increase voter turnout. Our small elections, like school board and city council get minimal turnout. Iowa is home to the Iowa Caucuses, and we are proud of our first in the nation status. However, we are failing our communities when we allow such low participation. I have worked on school board races in DES Moines, and I know how much easier it is to get people involved in those local elections and to make the connections between their one vote and the issues that matter most. The Secretary of State’s office needs to invest in these races and make sure voters know how to vote, where to vote, and when to vote. As Secretary of State I also want to make voting more accessible. Reforms such as vote centers, automatic voter registration, and restoration of our early voting days (cut by the current Secretary of State) are all reforms I would advocate for in my office. Throughout this campaign I have been committed to educating voters on the new voter ID law and changes to voting in 2018. Our campaign even developed a toolkit to One of my roles in my day job is helping my clients navigate the business registration process with the state. What we have found over the past few years is that when you file online, paperwork can take up to 45 days to be processed – but if you go to the office in Des Moines you can have your paperwork processed in a few days. We can do better for our business owners by updating our systems and putting a true queue in place.[7][4] | ” |
What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about? Why?
| “ | Voting rights.Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; invalid names, e.g. too many[4]
|
” |
Ballotpedia biographical submission form
The candidate completed Ballotpedia's biographical information submission form:
| “ | What is your political philosophy?
Over the past decade, my career has been focused on business development and voter engagement. From starting my own business, to working on presidential and school board campaigns in Iowa, I am often taken to the Secretary of State’s office. The two main roles of this office are business oversight and elections, and I often say that if this were a job I could apply for, I absolutely would. Iowans are ready for a Secretary of State that will defend their right to vote and leverage the office to educate voters, increase awareness and boost turnout. Everywhere I have been, voters let me know that the work of this office is important to them – but not everyone realizes what the Secretary of State is actually supposed to do. Paul Pate does the bare minimum to educate voters, and people are fed up with having their rights cast aside. People are ready for new leadership in the Secretary of State’s office, someone who will proactively educate voters, work with all auditors and election officers, and support small business owners. Is there anything you would like to add? Our campaign has been endorsed by over 100 state and local community leaders and elected officials, EMILYS List, NARAL Pro-Choice America, Collective PAC, Higher Heights, Iowa Women for Progressive Chance, Iowa Asian and Latino Coalition PAC, AFSCME Council 61, Central Iowa Building & Construction Trades Council, the International Union of Operating Engineers Local 234, the North Central States Regional Council of Carpenters, SEIU Local 199, Former Lt. Governor Sally Pederson, and Senate Minority Leader Janet Petersen.[4] |
” |
| —Deidre DeJear[3] | ||
See also
2022 Elections
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 DeJear for Iowa, "About Deidre," accessed May 3, 2022
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Linked, "Deidre DeJear," accessed May 3, 2022
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Information submitted on Ballotpedia’s biographical information submission form on May 15, 2018
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ DeJear for Iowa, “Issues,” accessed April 26, 2022
- ↑ Note: The candidate's answers have been reproduced here verbatim without edits or corrections by Ballotpedia.
- ↑ Ballotpedia's candidate survey, "Deirdre DeJear's responses," May 15, 2018
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