If all politics is local, the Senate race in Iowa was roiled by a profoundly local question last week: What’s the break-even price for corn and soybeans? Sen. Joni Ernst, a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, missed by a mile on soybeans and the reverberations continue. The Iowa Farm Bureau said on Sunday that Ernst “continues to have our full support” after a fake email suggested otherwise.
The race between Ernst and Democrat Theresa Greenfield is considered a toss-up. Greenfield has a 4.8 point lead according to the Real Clear Politics tracking poll.
“Recently, a fake email has been circulating through social media that Senator Ernst no longer has the support of Iowa Farm Bureau or our members,” said the farm group. “Iowa farmers know Senator Joni Ernst understands agriculture and works tirelessly to increase the economic opportunities for Iowa farmers and rural America, and that is why the Iowa Farm Bureau was proud to designate her as a Friend of Agriculture. She continues to have our full support.”
The kerfuffle started during a virtual debate between Ernst and Greenfield. Moderator Ron Steele asked Greenfield the break-even price for corn and Ernst the break-even for soybeans. Greenfield said the local price for corn was $3.69 “and break-even really just depends on debt someone has.” Ernst gave a roundabout answer that touched on trade negotiations and holding town hall meetings in all 99 counties. “You grew up on a farm. You should know this,” prodded Steele. Ernst responded, “It depends on what the inputs are, but probably $5.50.” Actually, it’s $10.05, said Steele.
Greenfield exploited the moment on social media, writing, “My name is Theresa Greenfield. I’m a scrappy farm kid who always knows the price of corn and soybeans. And on November 3rd, I’m going to flip this #IASen seat.”
Ernst followed the debate by issuing news releases that accused Greenfield of backing healthcare options that would bankrupt Iowa hospitals, wrongly opposing the nomination of Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, and being beholden to liberal campaign donors.
Both Greenfield and Ernst grew up on farms; Ernst played up her rural roots in winning election to the Senate in 2014.
“Six years after storming into office as perhaps the highest-profile member of a vaunted class that took back Republican control of the Senate, Ms. Ernst, 50, finds herself in a tough re-election race that is emblematic of her party’s struggle to keep the Senate majority with a weakened President Trump at the top of the ticket,” said the New York Times.
To read the Des Moines Register story about the debate, click here.
To watch a video of the Ernst-Greenfield debate, click here.