(Radio Iowa) -A Bettendorf native who’s a Navy veteran is campaigning to be Iowa’s top election official. Democrat Ryan Peterman is a graduate of the U-S Naval Academy who served 10 years as a helicopter pilot. He returned to Iowa last year to help care for his father, who is also a veteran. “I realized I kind of had a void, public service being a central focus of my life, so I started volunteering for a couple of campaigns and that ultimately led me down the path to where I am now, which is announcing my candidacy for Secretary of State in Iowa,” Peterman says. Republican Paul Pate, Iowa’s current secretary of state, has not announced whether he intends to seek a fifth term. Peterman, who is 34, is making his first run for public office.

Democrat Ryan Peterman of Bettendorf kicks off his campaign for Iowa Secretary of State today. (Photo from Peterman campaign)

Peterman says his Navy experience has taught him how to lead under pressure. “It’s taught me how to build trust and it’s taught me how to get results,” Peterman says. “I think that’s exactly what we need from our elected officials, particulary in the secretary of state’s office.” Peterman says he’s troubled by Republican efforts that have shortened Iowa’s early voting period to 20 days. “I believe that if you’re here in Iowa and you’re a citizen, you have the right to vote and if you have the desire to vote, you have the opportunity vote and the secretary of state’s office should be making it easier to do so,” Peterman said, “and they should also be ensuring that folks know that our elections are safe, secure and that they can trust that when they show up at the ballot box to cast their vote, that vote is going to count.”

As a Naval Aviator, Peterman deployed to the Middle East and Asia as a helicopter pilot on an aircraft carrier. “I got a first hand experience of what real good service and real good leadership looks like. I took those experiences with me to my next job. I was lucky enough to be selected to be a legislative fellow and I worked in the senate for a year on defense policy and veterans policy for Senator Jeanne Shaheen,” Peterson says. “which was another eye opening experience where I learned a ton.”

After that experience, Peterman returned to the U-S Naval Academy in Maryland where he was an honor education officer teaching midshipmen and a speechwriter for the academy’s superintendent.