NEW ULM — Republican Secretary of State candidate John Howe has some pretty personal reasons for seeking the position, which oversees elections as well as issuing business permits.

Howe, who served at term in the Minnesota Senate from Red Wing, was elected in 2010, and lost in 2012.

That was the year 13 DFL candidates for the Senate were found in violation of rules that prevent campaigns from coordinating with outside, third party groups on campaign advertising. Eleven of those 13 DFLers were elected, including Howe’s opponent. The sweep helped change control of the Senate. While the State DFL paid a $100,000 fine, the DFLers were allowed to take their seats. “With 11 seats, that’s less than $10,000 per seat. Not a bad investment,” said Howe.

As Secretary of State, Howe said he would not be able to change the rules himself, but he would advocate in the Legislature for changes to the state law that was violated, requiring hearings or special elections for candidates in violation of campaign rules, rather than letting them take their positions.

Howe also faults the current Secretary of State, Steve Simon, for his lack of transparency on ineligible voters in Minnesota.

Howe said ineligible voting is a bigger problem than the voting fraud issue. Ineligible voters are people who don’t know where they are supposed to vote and go to the wrong polling place, or don’t know they aren’t eligible to vote because of past felony convictions or other factors.

The state keeps data on who the registered, legal voters are, and on voters who are challenged as possibly ineligible. The current secretary of state won’t release the data on challenged voters, Howe said, which he thinks keeps the state from addressing the problem.

“He also claims he can choose who he gives it to,” said Howe.

Howe said he would make any public government data available to the public.

The new Minnesota presidential primary that will be starting with the 2020 election also concerns Howe. He said that as it is set up now, voters will have to attest to election judges which party they support, and whether they would support the candidate they are voting for, in order to receive a ballot for one party or the other. The voter would thereby be registered as a Republican or Democrat, and the state would collect that data. Howe said he thinks voters should be given a ballot with all the parties, with the understanding they could only vote for one, which is how primary voting is done now. People cannot jump from one party to the other on their ballot, or the ballot becomes ineligible.

Howe said he doesn’t want the Secretary of State’s Office to be used for partisan purposes. He said he would go after all campaign cheaters, regardless of party, and fight against voter suppression.