After a hard fought primary race Deidre DeJear, a democrat running against current Iowa Secretary of State Paul Pate, could become the first black woman in Iowa to hold statewide office.
DeJear says it is her goal to connect with voters and make the voting process accessible for everyone, an attitude which was inspired by her grandmother who was an election commissioner in Oklahoma.
"I would go from Oklahoma to volunteer with her," DeJear says. "It was the last thing I wanted to be doing as a high school student.... But in hindsight, she really instilled in me the importance of the vote."
During this River to River conversation, we get to know DeJear, why she’s running, and talk about Iowa’s new voter ID law.
