The House Agriculture Committee is headed for its largest turnover in membership since 2015, as Democrats flood the panel with newcomers. But nine of the committee’s 26 Democrats, including chairman Collin Peterson, could face competitive races in 2020, according to early re-election ratings.
Republicans have yet to announce their committee assignments but decided last week to bar Iowa Rep. Steve King from returning to Agriculture or sitting on any committee because of statements supporting white nationalism. Usually, the Agriculture Committee sees a dozen or so new members at the start of a two-year session of Congress. In 2015, 14 of 46 members were new and in 2017, it was 12 of 46.
This time, the committee has 13 returning Democrats and 13 newcomers, announced Peterson. The veterans include House Rules chairman Jim McGovern, a leading SNAP advocate, and Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos, who chairs the Democrats’ House re-election committee and is a member of the House Appropriations Committee.
“This is a strong roster for the Ag Committee and I’m looking forward to tackling the challenges that our farmers and ranchers, rural communities and working families face,” said Peterson, who plans a meaty series of hearings into USDA operations and its implementation of the 2018 farm law. There is “a growing economic storm in farm country to address and the ongoing harm of a trade war to alleviate,” said the Minnesota Democrat, when he became chairman two weeks ago.
Peterson has said he will elevate younger members of the committee and create a new generation of agriculture policy experts. In a recent memo, he said leaders of the six subcommittees “will be empowered to do a lot of the work at their level.”
Democrats Josh Harder of California and Antonio Delgado of New York state, who defeated Republican incumbents, were among the 13 new Democrats on the committee. Twelve are first-termers. The other is sixth-term Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine, who left Agriculture in 2013 to join Appropriations. Party leaders gave her a waiver to serve on both committees this session.
Delgado and Rep. Anthony Brindisi of New Jersey are rated as toss-ups for re-election by the analytical site Sabato’s Crystal Ball. Both were elected by narrow margins in districts that Trump won easily. Seven Democrats on the committee, including Peterson, are in races that “lean Democratic” at the moment, said the Crystal Ball.
Kyle Kondik, managing editor of the Crystal Ball, noted on social media that Trump won Peterson’s district by 31 points. “Next-Trumpiest district held by a D was one Trump won by about half that (Brindisi, NY-22),” he said. Kondik said Peterson’s victory margins “have been modest lately against marginal opposition.” The outspoken Peterson is a conservative “Blue Dog” Democrat who defeated a series of GOP challengers.
Also in “leans Democratic” districts were Abigail Spanberger of Virginia, Angie Craig of Minnesota, Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey, Harder of California, Kim Schrier of Washington state and Cindy Axne of Iowa, whose appointment assured Iowa of having representation on the Agriculture Committee. King would have been the No. 3 Republican if allowed to serve. An Iowan has served on the committee for the past 120 years, by one count.