Iowa GOP slams Democratic agriculture hopeful for calling farming easy and farmers wealthy
Democratic candidate Chris Jones faced sharp criticism from Iowa Republicans after remarks that grain farming is “not that hard” and that many farmers are “wealthy.”
During a 2021 Iowa Ideas Conference interview, Democratic agriculture secretary nominee Chris Jones described grain farming as relatively easy, noting that many farmers work only a few weeks annually and earn three times the state average, calling them “wealthy.” Iowa Field Report resurfaced the clip, also noting his earlier claim that Iowa farmers are “older white guys.” Incumbent Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig responded on X, saying such views disqualify Jones from the role and that farmers deserve respect.
Attorney General Brenna Bird denounced the comments as a “horrible message” from a “radical liberal” ahead of the Iowa State Fair. GOP Chairman Jeff Kaufmann and spokeswoman Jade Cichy echoed the criticism, portraying Jones as an environmentalist out of touch with farming life and warning he would push a Green New Deal agenda.
Why it matters
The comments have sparked a partisan fight that could influence Iowa’s upcoming agricultural secretary race.
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