Secretary of State, Iowa

Deidre is a trailblazer. She is the first African American woman to be nominated by a major party in a statewide race in Iowa. Not only that, Deidre started her own small business that supports entrepreneurs by providing affordable business and marketing tools. She has helped over 150 local businesses and nonprofits. She served as a statewide coordinator for President Barack Obama in his 2012 bid for the presidency. She organized and turned out 5,000 unlikely voters and, additionally, helped more than double the African American voter turnout in Iowa. Deidre's primary focus as secretary of state will be to increase voter registration and block any attempts at restricting access to voting. Iowa recently passed a voter ID law that attempts to limit access to the ballot box. Deidre is dedicated to increasing public awareness of how to navigate voting while abiding by these new laws.

"Two main reasons: DeJear will work to protect voting rights and access for all in Iowa, and she will work to enhance small business success. We need to reverse the restrictions imposed by our current secretary of state, and DeJear will do so. I trust her to listen to the concerns of regular Iowans. Her qualifications, experience, and progressive values won me over. That she is a woman of color also adds a voice sorely needed in our state's leadership." –Terry from Decorah