Sen. Joni Ernst earned the endorsement of the Iowa Farm Bureau on Wednesday. Ernst was raised on a Southwest Iowa farm and received the support over Democrat rival and former Colby Interests executive, Theresa Greenfield.
“As someone who grew up on a farm in Southwest Iowa and spent my entire life fighting for family farms, it’s a true honor to receive this endorsement of the Iowa Farm Bureau,” Ernst said. “Unlike my opponent Theresa Greenfield, who is supported by liberal coastal environmentalists advocating for policies that would hurt Iowa, I will always put farmers first.”
The endorsement is determined by input from every county in Iowa. Ernst was selected based on her support of Farm Bureau policies, voting record and support of Iowa’s farm families and ag economy.
“Candidates earn the Friend of Agriculture designation by supporting issues that directly impact Iowa’s agricultural economy,” said Erik Oberbroeckling, a Clayton County farmer and IFBF PAC Chair. “With one in every five Iowans employed in agriculture and ag-related industries, it is essential to have strong advocates for agriculture representing Iowa.”
Greenfield, meanwhile, is yet to support the rollback of Waters of the U.S. (WOTUS) rule, which was established under former President Barack Obama.
Ernst has led the charge to ease WOTUS.
Greenfield is also receiving support by “extreme environmentalists” like Tom Steyer, according to Ernst’s campaign. Sen. Chuck Schumer, who has supported Greenfield all along, has opposed ethanol and the Renewable Fuels Standard for years. Schumer and Super Majority PAC (a Schumer-aligned PAC) are the top financers of Greenfield’s campaign.
