Farmer-funded attack ads targeting Republicans air across rural America
WASHINGTON -
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ads → fund → America
A group of farmers is helping to fund US$3 million (S$3.8 million) in attack ads against Republicans in some of the most competitive US midterm election races, criticising the party’s candidates on cost-of-living and animal-welfare issues.
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group → help → issues
That sum is a small slice of the billions being poured into the Nov 3 midterms.
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sum → pour → midterms
But President Donald Trump’s Republican Party already faces headwinds among typically stalwart rural supporters due to concerns about tariffs and high fuel costs driven up by the war in Iran.
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Party → face → Iran
The ads in Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Colorado and Iowa are paid for by the political action arm of the American Meat Producers Association (AMPA), an organisation founded in 2025 that represents farmers who support high animal welfare standards.
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who → pay → standards
The group has just one listed employee on its website: President Holly Bice.
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group → have → website
It does not disclose its donors or member lists.
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It → disclose → donors
But farmers are one source of cash for the midterm ads, according to Reuters interviews with farmers associated with the AMPA.
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farmers → accord → AMPA
The ads criticise four incumbent Republicans for supporting a Bill in Congress, the Save Our Bacon Act, which would overturn California and Massachusetts laws that require higher farm animal welfare standards and which have for years divided the pork industry.
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which → criticise → industry
The Bill has been endorsed by nearly 400 state and national farm groups.
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Bill → endorse → groups
AMPA represents farmers who oppose the Bill.
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who → represent → Bill
But the ads also attack the candidates on other topics, like their support for Trump’s tariffs on Canadian goods.
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ads → attack → goods
One ad against US Representative Gabe Evans, a Colorado Republican, says he “voted for Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran, sending prices skyrocketing.”
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he → say → prices
Evans did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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Evans → respond → comment
Bice, AMPA’s president, said the organisation is running ads on issues beyond its focus of animal welfare because “farmers and ranchers don’t experience policy one Bill at a time.”
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farmers → say → time
“These ads point out that certain lawmakers have voting records that have hurt farmers,” Bice said in response to emailed questions, declining to name the major donors to its political action committee running the ads.
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Bice → point → ads
Bice said AMPA and its PAC are supported by farmers, meat companies and “people who care about family farming,” but declined to provide more details.
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who → say → details
Farmers have been hard hit this year by record diesel prices, higher fertiliser costs and reduced exports to China.
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Farmers → hit → China
Trump plans to give farmers US$8 billion in diesel aid, bringing government payments to farmers to a record high of US$55.4 billion this year, though the funds will not arrive until after the election.
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funds → plan → election
Many farm groups have remained allied with Republicans this midterm cycle.
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groups → remain → Republicans
For instance, the political action arm of the Iowa Farm Bureau, a branch of the national Farm Bureau lobby group, in September endorsed all Republican candidates for House, Senate and state secretary of agriculture.
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arm → endorse → agriculture
Taking aim at Iowa
AMPA has spent US$2.9 million to date on digital and radio ads, according to federal election filings.
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AMPA → take → filings
Of that, about US$2.5 million has funded ads opposing US Representative Ashley Hinson, an Iowa Republican, in her Senate race, the filings show.
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filings → fund → race
The ads target Hinson’s sponsorship of the Save Our Bacon Act, which Hinson has said would support Iowa’s hog farmers.
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Hinson → target → farmers
“She don’t give a damn about Iowa farmers.
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She → give → farmers
She will never feel the pain her votes have inflicted on people like me,” says a man in the ad.
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man → feel → ad
Billy Fuerst, Hinson’s campaign communications director, said: “Iowa farmers strongly support Ashley Hinson because she delivers for agriculture.”
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she → say → agriculture
Hinson has been endorsed by the Iowa Corn Growers Association, as well as the state Farm Bureau chapter.
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Hinson → endorse → Association
Trump won Iowa by double digits in the 2024 presidential election, but polls show Democrats tied with or leading Republicans in many of the state’s midterm races.
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Democrats → win → races
Spending by Republicans on midterm races and Trump’s campaign rally schedule deep in the conservative heartland highlight the party’s growing concerns about winning tight races in Farm Belt states like Iowa and Kansas.
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Spending → highlight → Iowa
Rural approval of Trump hit a new low in October of 45%, according to Reuters/Ipsos polling.
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approval → hit → polling
Russ Kremer, a Missouri hog farmer who is on AMPA’s leadership council, said many of the roughly 5,000 farmers involved with AMPA had contributed to its PAC, but he did not provide details or a specific number.
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he → say → details
AMPA’s spending is not a straightforward effort to elect Democrats.
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spending → elect → Democrats
The group has also backed some Republicans who share its views on animal welfare standards.
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who → back → standards
AMPA has spent US$100,000 on ads supporting Republican incumbents Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania and Andrew Garbarino of New York, who have opposed the Save Our Bacon Act.
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who → spend → Act
Both are favoured to win in the midterms, according to the latest polls.
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Both → favour → polls
The Aporia
