Matt Schultz (Iowa)
Matt Schultz (born July 23, 1979) is the former Republican Iowa Secretary of State. Scultz was first elected to the statewide position in 2010.[1] He overtook three opponents in the primary election and went on to face Democrat Michael Mauro and Libertarian Jake Porter in the general election on November 2, 2010. He won with 49.8 percent of the vote, with Mauro finishing a not too distant second, with 47 percent. Schultz assumed office in January 2011.
On January 1, 2015, Schultz was succeeded by Republican Paul Pate. Pate was elected secretary of state in the general election on Noveber 4, 2014.
Schultz' tenure as Iowa's chief elections official received the most attention for his July 2012 decision to approve emergency voter rules. He approved the rules without public input, saying they were necessary to ensure non-citizens couldn't vote in the November elections. Opponents, however, were concerned that the new rules would intimidate certain groups of voters, including Hispanics, and keep them from registering to vote.[2] Under the new rules, Schultz would be able to remove voters from the state's registration database by comparing it with a state Department of Transportation list and a federal immigration list.
Schultz was a 2014 Republican candidate who sought election to the U.S. House to represent the 3rd Congressional District of Iowa.[3] Schultz was defeated by David Young for the nomination in the Republican convention on June 21, 2014.[4]
Prior to becoming secretary of state, Schultz was an attorney and a member of the Council Bluffs City Council, a position he had held since 2005.
Biography
Shortly after receiving his law degree, Schultz worked as an associate attorney, first for Katskee, Henatsch & Suing and then later for Smith Peteron Law Firm LLP. In December 2007, he joined the Council Bluffs-based private practice law firm of Schultz & Watson, LLP where he operates as both an attorney and a partner.[5]
Education
- Associates Degree, Brigham Young University-Idaho (2001) in behavioral sciences
- Bachelor's degree, University of Iowa (2003) in political science (with honors)
- Juris Doctorate degree, Creighton University School of Law (2006)
Political career
Iowa Secretary of State (2011-2015)
Schultz was sworn in as Iowa Secretary of State in January 2011 following his win in the November 2010 general election. He left office January 1, 2015, when he was succeeded by Republican Paul Pate.
Illegal immigration
Schultz stated that if elected as Iowa Secretary of State he would "incorporate the Federal E-Verify system, operated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in partnership with the Social Security Administration," into the office's website.[6] E-Verify is an Internet-based system that allows an employer to determine whether or not an individual is eligible to work in the country. Schultz argued that promotion of this policy would allow for "not only leveling the playing field for Unions, but making more jobs available to all Iowans.”[7]
Voting Rules
In July 2012, Schultz approved emergency voter rules without public input, saying they were necessary to ensure noncitizens couldn't vote in the November elections. Opponents, however, were concerned that the new rules would intimidate certain groups of voters, including Hispanics, and keep them from registering to vote.[2]
Under the new rules, Schultz would be able to remove voters from the state's registration database by comparing it with a state Department of Transportation list and a federal immigration list. Any voters found to be listed as noncitizens would be notified of their pending removal and given a chance to prove their citizenship. Additionally, the rules would allow allegations of voter fraud to be reported anonymously. Previously such reports required a sworn statement, with prosecution possible if fraud was falsely alleged.[8]
Presidential preference
2012
Matt Schultz (Iowa) endorsed Rick Santorum in the 2012 presidential election.[9]
Elections
2014
Schultz ran in the 2014 election for the U.S. House to represent Iowa's 3rd District.[10] Schultz was defeated by David Young for the nomination in the Republican convention on June 21, 2014.[4]
The Republican nomination was decided by a convention after none of the six candidates reached the 35 percent threshold required to make the general election ballot.[11]
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Brad Zaun | 24.8% | 10,522 | ||
| Robert Cramer | 21.3% | 9,032 | ||
| Matt Schultz | 19.9% | 8,464 | ||
| Monte Shaw | 17% | 7,220 | ||
| David Young | 15.5% | 6,604 | ||
| Joe Grandanette | 1.6% | 661 | ||
| Total Votes | 42,503 | |||
| Source: Iowa Secretary of State |
||||
Fundraising
Rick Santorum attended a fundraiser for Schultz on March 26, 2014.[12]
2010
- See also: Iowa Secretary of State election, 2010
| 2010 Race for Secretary of State - Republican Primary[13] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party |  Matt Schultz
|
46.9% | |
| Democratic Party | George Eichhorn | 26.8% | |
| Libertarian Party | Chris Sanger | 26.0% | |
| Write-In | 0.3% | ||
| Total Votes | 164,817 | ||
| 2010 Race for Secretary of State - General Election[14] | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote Percentage | |
| Republican Party | Matt Schultz
|
49.8% | |
| Democratic Party | Michael Mauro | 47.0% | |
| Libertarian Party | Jake Porter | 3.1% | |
| Write-In | 0.1% | ||
| Total Votes | 1,080,281 | ||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Schultz currently resides in Iowa with his wife, Zola, and their three children - Levi, Hyrum and Kendra.[5]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Matt + Schultz + Iowa + Secretary"
Contact information
Capitol Address:
Office of Secretary of State
1007 East Grand Avenue
Room 105, State Capitol
Des Moines, IA 50319
Phone: (515) 281-8993
Fax: (515) 242-5952
E-mail: sos@sos.state.ia.us
See also
External links
- Campaign website
- Official Iowa Secretary of State website
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Twitter
- YouTube
Footnotes
- ↑ Omaha World-Herald, "Matt Shultz wins Sec. of State office" 3 Nov. 2010
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 SF Gate, "Schultz defends emergency voter rules to lawmakers," September 11, 2012
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Elections chief Matt Schultz jumps into race for Congress," accessed February 5, 2014
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Iowa Republican, "Shocker: David Young wins GOP Nomination on Fifth Ballot (VIDEO ADDED)," accessed June 23, 2014
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Project Vote Smart, "Secretary Matt Schultz's Biography," accessed July 31, 2013
- ↑ The Iowa Republican, "Eichhorn, Schultz & Immigration" 17 May, 2010
- ↑ Matt Schultz for Iowa Secretary of State, "Promote Fairness Through E-Verify, Not Union Pandering" 3 Feb. 2010 (dead link)
- ↑ KCRG, "Legislative Committee to Meet on New Voter Rules," September 10, 2012
- ↑ US Election News, "Santorum Picks Up Big Iowa Endorsement," December 9, 2011
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedrun - ↑ Quad City Times, "Iowa 3rd District GOP race will go to convention," accessed June 3, 2014
- ↑ Des Moines Register, "Congressional candidate Matt Schultz lands some GOP heavy hitters," accessed March 24, 2014
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State - 2010 Primary Election Results
- ↑ Iowa Secretary of State - 2010 General Election Results
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Michael Mauro (D) |
Iowa Secretary of State 2011–2015 |
Succeeded by Paul Pate (R) |
| |||||||||||||||||||
