Big changes ahead after the midterms
It may seem dangerous to be writing something as the midterm elections are taking place, with control of the House, Senate and several governor’s offices all up for grabs. But regardless of who wins on election night, we know there could be significant changes in who controls the congressional committees that can write new farm policy.
For example, take a look at potential changes in just the House Agriculture Committee, where Ranking Democrat Angie Craig, D-MN, chose not to seek re-election to her House seat in 2026 and run for the Senate instead. She lost the Democratic primary to Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan.
Two Democrats are vying to replace her in that top spot and they come from vastly different backgrounds: Ohio Rep. Shontel Brown and California Rep. Jim Costa.
Brown was ranking member of the General Farm Commodities, Risk Management, and Credit Subcommittee in the last Congress and was named vice ranking member in the current Congress under Ranking Member Craig. She said she has “built a reputation for maintaining relationships across our caucus, the farm bill coalition, and the aisle. That credibility matters because the challenges we face cannot be solved by any one part of our coalition alone.”
She noted that she has visited numerous farm operations in Ohio, as well as food banks, controlled-environment enterprises, and farmers markets. She also has “traveled to colleagues’ districts in Illinois, Georgia, Mississippi, Florida, Colorado, Hawaii, and beyond.”
Those visits, she said, “have reinforced something I hear from members in every part of the country: the challenges may look different from district to district, but Americans are increasingly frustrated with a system that feels like it is no longer working for them.”
In a recent letter to House Democrats, Brown also made her case for leading the committee in a way that would bring back the traditional farm bill coalition.
“I believe the Agriculture Committee, like our country, is at an inflection point,” Brown wrote. “For years, this committee was one of the few places in Congress where members with very different districts and priorities could come together, find consensus, and get things done. In fact, what drew me to the committee was that agriculture and nutrition were long united under a shared purpose. Today, that tradition has broken down.”
Brown’s main competition appears to be Rep. Jim Costa of California, who has tried before to ascend to his party’s top position on the committee. Costa’s district includes parts of Fresno and Tulare counties in the heavily agricultural San Joaquin Valley, while Brown represents all of Cleveland and other areas in a district in the northeastern part of the state.
Other differences between the two: Brown is 51 and Costa is 74. In addition, he voted on the House floor for the farm bill, which passed 224 to 200, while she did not.
Costa makes his case
“My agenda is simple: Keep farmers farming, keep families fed, and make this committee work for every member,” he said in a letter last week to Democratic colleagues.
“The farm bill extension has lapsed,” Costa says. “President Trump’s tariffs have raised costs and threatened markets for our farmers, while his war in Iran has driven up diesel and fertilizer prices. Meanwhile, Republican SNAP cuts are making it harder for families to put food on the table. Reversing those cuts will require working with members from farm country on both sides of the aisle. I have spent two decades building those relationships, and I will put them to work whether we hold the gavel or serve in the minority.”
The California congressman said he would “make restoring and strengthening [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] a central priority of the committee’s work. I will keep fighting to reverse the cost shift to states, oppose new barriers to assistance, and improve access to healthy, affordable food.”
He also touted his experience on the Hill.
“I helped write three farm bills that became law,” he says. “I established the first horticulture and organic agriculture title and served on the conference committee that completed the 2018 farm bill. Today, I serve as ranking member of the subcommittee on livestock, dairy, and poultry.”
“Food security is national security,” Costa says in the letter. “I will fight for a strong farm safety net, crop insurance, disaster assistance, credit, and economic relief so that one difficult year does not become a farm’s last. Our policies must work for producers of every size and background, including small, beginning, and historically underserved farmers.”
It’s still uncertain as to whether or not the GOP leadership will change on the House Agriculture Committee. Current Chairman Glenn “GT” Thompson, R-PA, who has guided the House-passed farm bill, is seeking a waiver of Republican committee leadership term limits. If that’s granted by House leadership, he may be able to keep leading his Republican colleagues. If not, Rep. Austin Scott, R-GA, has expressed strong interest in the top Republican position.
Senate Ag will look different, too
On the Senate Ag Committee, Sen. John Boozman, of Arkansas, is expected to remain as the top Republican, but his committee membership will look much different. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConell, R-KY, and Sen. Joni Ernst, R-IA, are retiring. Sen. Tommy Tuberville appears likely to become the next governor of Alabama.
For Democrats, Sen. Richard Durbin, D-IL, and Tina Smith, D-MN, are retiring. Ranking Member Amy Klobuchar, D-MN, will likely become the next governor of Minnesota. Colorado’s Michael Bennet lost his June gubernatorial primary and remains in the Senate, making him a top contender to replace Klobuchar as the leading Democrat on the committee. However, if Sen. Sherrod Brown wins election in Ohio, some speculate that he may be able to bridge his prior Senate seniority and return to lead the ag committee.
Editor’s note: Sara Wyant is publisher of Agri-Pulse Communications Inc., www.Agri-Pulse.com.
