What happened: In addition to Donald Trump’s return to the White House, Tuesday’s elections saw Republicans gain control of the U.S. Senate and will likely hold power in the House of Representatives, giving them leadership of committees important to agriculture.
At press time, the GOP had 53 seats in the Senate, while Democrats held 47. Arizona and Nevada have not yet been called.
Republicans ousted three incumbents, winning seats in Montana with Tim Sheehy defeating Sen. Jon Tester; Ohio, where businessman Bernie Moreno unseated Sen. Sherrod Brown; and Pennsylvania, with Dave McCormick beating Sen. Bob Casey.
In the House, Republicans currently have a 211-199 lead. Two dozen races are too close to call.
Why it matters: As done during the Biden presidency, NPPC will work with the new administration to champion policies that enable producers to operate their farms successfully and secure their livelihoods for future generations. Among those policies are fixing California Proposition 12, passing a new farm bill, promoting U.S. pork exports, and resolving agriculture’s labor shortage.
In the Senate, John Boozman (R-AR) is expected to become chairman of the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee. Currently serving as ranking member, Boozman would take over from retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI). The House Agriculture Committee again will likely be led by Chairman Glenn G.T. Thompson (R-PA).
