Republican

Republican Pat Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee, faces an uphill struggle to win his fourth Senate term from Kansas, say two polls over the weekend.

Republican Joni Ernst's folksiness seems to be paying off in the retail politics of Iowa, says the weekly political tip sheet Sabato's Crystal Ball, in rating the Senate race in the Hawkeye State as "leans Republican," vs the previous "Toss-up."

Food Policy Action, a two-year-old advocacy group, says conservative Rep Steve Southerland, who proposed the largest food stamp cuts in a generation, is its No 1 target for defeat in the November 4 elections.

First-term Republicans David Valadao of California and Rodney Davis of Illinois rate as likely winners of re-election to the House, says the political tip sheet Sabato's Crystal Ball. Valadao, a member of the Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, and Davis, a member of the Agriculture Committee, "ranked among the top Democratic targets in the country earlier in the cycle but neither race has really materialized," said the Crystal Ball, which previously listed the races as "leans Republican."

Rep Rodney Davis, narrowly elected in 2022, leads his Democratic challenger, Ann Callis, 55-39 with 7 percent undecided in his central Illinois district, said Roll Call, based on a poll conducted for the Davis campaign by Public Opinion Strategies. A House Agriculture Committee member, Davis is a vocal critic of new rules that require schools to serve healthier meals. He says the food is unpopular with students and costly for schools. Davis is a Democratic target; the Democratic congressional committee is scheduled to begin TV advertisements in the race on Sept 30, says Roll Call. There has been little polling in the race and Davis is favored to win, said Election Projection.

Kansas "is potentially a huge problem" for Republicans aiming to take control of the Senate, says Sabato's Crystal Ball, which currently projects the GOP to gain from 5-8 seats in the Nov 4 elections. The Crystal Ball points to polls that suggest a tie or that Independent Greg Orman may be leading incumbent Republican Pat Roberts, a senior member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. "We’re still calling the race Leans Republican but it may drift into Toss-up land soon," says the Crystal Ball.

Pat Roberts of Kansas is "likely" to become chairman of the Agriculture Committee if Republicans win control of the Senate in the mid-term elections, says Politico, in laying out its list of potential committee leaders. It says Thad Cochran of Mississippi, now the GOP leader on Agriculture, would take the Appropriations chair and Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, No 2 in rank on Agriculture, would become majority leader. Of course, Cochran and Roberts have to win re-election on Nov 4.

Four farm bill skeptics - Republicans Eric Cantor, Steve Southerland, Pat Roberts and Mitch McConnell - are having an ample share of electoral trouble, writes David Rogers at Politico. Cantor, the former House majority leader, was defeated in his Virginia primary election. Southerland, Roberts and McConnell face strong challenges in the general election. Politico notes there are unique factors in each race and the farm bill is a minor issue, if at all.

The House and Senate are scheduled to return to today with one major goal - passage of a short-term government funding bill for the fiscal year beginning Oct 1 or face a repeat of the shutdown of last October. Lawmakers are expected to pass legislation to fund the government until early December before leaving, possibly as early as next Friday, to campaign for re-election.

Under-funded Democrat Chad Taylor withdrew as a candidate for Senate in Kansas, "an 11th hour move that could clear the way for his party to rally behind an independent candidate and potentially change the math in the battle for the Senate majority," said the Washington Post. Independent Greg Orman "has been viewed as a more viable opponent against Sen Pat Roberts (R), who polls show is vulnerable."

State Sen Chris McDaniel was expected to hold a news conference today to say if he will appeal to the Mississippi Supreme Court or accept defeat in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, says the Jackson (Miss) Clarion-Ledger. Judge Hollis McGehee dismissed on Friday a lawsuit by McDaniel contesting the victory of six-term Sen Thad Cochran in the June 24 run-off. The judge agreed with Cochran's argument that there was a 20-day deadline to file challenges and that McDaniel filed too late.

House Agriculture Committee member Scott DesJarlais is the undisputed winner of the Republican primary in Tennessee's fourth congressional district.

Democrat Alison Grimes faulted Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for missing many Agriculture Committee hearings and for not being one of the negotiators who wrote the 2014 farm law, says the Associated Press.

The junior member of the House Agriculture Committee, Vance McAllister, "has suddenly, improbably, become the man to beat this November," says Roll Call.

A new poll says incumbent Mark Pryor, chairman of the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture, and Republican Tom Cotton are running neck-and-neck for the Senate in Arkansas. This time, Pryor is ahead, 48-46 in a poll by a company with Democratic clients, says Roll Call. The poll was conducted last week, the same time frame as a Hendix College/Talk Business poll that has Cotton ahead, 44-42, with 7 percent undecided.