First District race for Congress could turn on Trump tariffs
"The best thing politicians can do is get the hell out of agriculture," said Hurley, 53, of
Like many farmers in southern
But now fallout from Trump's hard-line trade policies is testing support for the president and defining the
No top-tier candidates in the district -- including Republican primary rivals
For two hours, as Feehan asked questions and listened, Thormodson, 51, who grows soybeans and corn, described this year's double-whammy: tariffs and June flooding that left parts of some of his fields still submerged.
Already, Thormodson said, tariffs have sliced
The tariffs will "hurt the machinery dealers," he said. "It'll hurt discretionary spending. There will not be as many pickups traded in." He didn't vote for Trump, but said that some neighbors who did have told him they now regret it.
"I listen and I get things done," Nelson said as she knocked on doors one recent late afternoon in
She approached a man who was grilling brats for supper and asked, "What might you want to know about me?" He asked about the farm economy. "I've been a big supporter of farmers," she said, mentioning her family's agricultural roots.
"It's a challenging time right now," Nelson added. She brought up the effects of the tariffs on the farm economy but didn't defend Trump's stance. The man nodded and said, "It's extremely tight."
Nelson says
Back at the
Schumann voted reluctantly for Trump, he explained later, but he doesn't blame the president for the farm economy. It has been dismal for five years, he said. As for Trump, "I really don't think he even knows his position most of the time.
Hagedorn, who was raised on a grain and livestock farm near
But asked for his bottom line on the topic, Hagedorn said, "I'm for open markets. I'm for expanding global markets for all our industries, especially agriculture."
The trade war isn't the only issue
In 2016, Hagedorn -- the son of a former southern
Hagedorn believes that partnering with Trump is a winning message and doesn't think voters are turned off by the president's policies or rhetoric. Trump "has his own style and personality," he said. "He has a way of negotiating and a way of gaining attention ... that he thinks works."
Nelson used software loaded into her phone to target likely Republican primary voters in
She told one voter that she's "a champion of the pro-growth agenda, actually the Make America Great Again agenda."
To another resident, she said, "I'm also a strong supporter of public safety when it comes to borders." Asked if that means she supports Trump's plan for a border wall, she replied, "I've been voting on the Make America Great agenda in the state
Nelson, who was endorsed last week by the NRA, frequently noted that she's a small-business owner and former teacher. When
"You are a hero," Nelson told him. "I know exactly what that journey looks like."
She handed him a postcard to sign, promising to mail it back to remind him to vote. He signed it and thanked her.
Feehan, an
His long conversation with Thormodson is part of that strategy. "There's something different about talking about what you're for in very simple terms," he said. "Your job as a candidate is a matter of holding on to your integrity and your authenticity."
Feehan rejects suggestions that the election will be a referendum on Trump. "It should be a referendum on a
Several other
Republican
Hurley, the farmer from
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