Paul Pate is an American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 politician

Politician

A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...

 from Iowa

Iowa

Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...

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Pate is a former mayor of Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids, Iowa

Cedar Rapids is the second largest city in Iowa and is the county seat of Linn County. The city lies on both banks of the Cedar River, north of Iowa City and east of Des Moines, the state's capital and largest city...

 and former Iowa Secretary of State

Iowa Secretary of State

The Iowa Secretary of State is a constitutional officer of the U.S. state of Iowa and is elected every four years. The Office of the Secretary of State is divided into four divisions: Elections and Voter Registration, Business Services, Administrative Services, and Communications and Publications...

. Pate also served in the Iowa State Senate for six years. He currently runs Pate Asphalt Systems in Hiawatha, Iowa

Hiawatha, Iowa

Hiawatha is a city in Linn County, Iowa, United States. It is a suburb located north of Cedar Rapids and is part of the Cedar Rapids Metropolitan Statistical Area...

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On January 18, 2010, Pate filed paperwork to notify the Iowa state election board that he was considering a run for his former position as Iowa Secretary of State. He was reportedly intrigued at the idea of being able to run for office alongside former Iowa governor Terry Branstad. However, he decided not to run for the office.