Iowa Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig on Feb. 1 announced he is exploring a run for Iowa secretary of agriculture. Naig says he is gauging support and laying the groundwork for a campaign should Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey be confirmed as an undersecretary at USDA or if Northey decides not to run for re-election.

Northey’s nomination for the job in Washington, D.C., has been hung up since last fall when U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and some other lawmakers put a hold on Northey’s appointment as undersecretary for farm production and conservation at USDA. Cruz is trying to get the Trump administration to reduce the requirements on the amount of ethanol that must be blended into gasoline. Representing the large oil-producing state of Texas, Cruz would like to do away with the Renewable Fuel Standard.

Iowa’s congressional leaders and U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue are continuing to push for Northey’s confirmation by the U.S. Senate. Naig says he remains hopeful that Northey will be confirmed by the Senate soon. If that happens, Northey will be able to move into the new position at USDA. Like Northey, Naig is a Republican.

Naig chose to make his announcement that he is exploring the possibility of running for the office of Iowa secretary of agriculture now, instead of waiting to see what happens with Northey’s situation. That’s because of upcoming deadlines he must be prepared for. “It is necessary for me to do some administrative chores beforehand,” Naig says, “so I can actually run for the office and meet the March deadlines.”

4 Republicans, 1 Democrat
In addition to Naig, three other Republicans and one Democrat have announced plans they are running for Iowa secretary of ag. The Republicans are Craig Lang, Ray Gaesser and Chad Ingels. Lang, past president of Iowa Farm Bureau and a dairy farmer near Brooklyn in eastern Iowa, was the first to announce he is running.

Gaesser, farming at Corning in southwest Iowa and a past president of the American Soybean Association, announced his candidacy in January. Chad Ingels, farming in northeast Iowa near Randalia, announced his plan to run during an interview at the recent 2018 Iowa Pork Congress.

Tim Gannon, a Democrat and fifth-generation farmer from Mingo in central Iowa, announced on Feb. 1 that he is running for Iowa ag secretary. Gannon worked for eight years at USDA under Ag Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former Iowa governor. Since returning to Iowa, Gannon has farmed 900 acres on his family’s century farm.

‘Still important work to be done’
Naig says, “It has been an honor to partner with Secretary Northey to help lead the Iowa Department of Ag and Land Stewardship for the past four and a half years, and there is still important work to be done. As secretary, I would continue to be committed to protecting consumers, expanding economic opportunities for Iowans and advocating in Iowa and around the globe on behalf of the hardworking men and women who care for crops and livestock that feed the world, fuel our nation and drive our state’s economy.”

Naig grew up on a family farm in the northwest corner of Iowa near Cylinder. Early on,

he learned the value of hard work from his dad and uncle on their crop and livestock farm. He continues to help with the operation today. 

In a state where agriculture is a leading economic driver, Naig says, “Protecting our natural resources is essential to our success.” He is proud of Iowans for taking on the challenge of improving water quality. He believes in continuing to embrace science and technology “to better care for our state’s natural resources, secure a safe and affordable food and energy supply, and build markets for Iowa products.” 

Naig deputy secretary for 4.5 years
As deputy secretary of agriculture in Iowa, Naig has been responsible for operations of the department, specifically policy, budget and personnel. He regularly travels the state to hear from Iowans directly. He says his experience working alongside Sec. Northey has reinforced in him the importance of being accessible to better represent the interests of Iowans and respond to their needs.   

Before joining the Iowa Department of Agriculture, Naig was employed in agribusiness, and served in public policy roles for state and national trade associations and in private industry. He’s a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake with degrees in biology and political science. He and wife Jaime live in Urbandale and have three boys.

Gannon former USDA official running
Gannon is the first Democrat to announce his candidacy for Iowa secretary of agriculture in 2018. If elected, Gannon says he will focus on trade promotion for agriculture. “We need to identify new markets for Iowa ag products. We also need to protect our soil and water, and encourage economic development in rural Iowa,” he says.

He says he would work hard to expand markets so producers of all sizes can thrive. “In places like my hometown of Mingo, we need to do much more to give young people hope for the future and that means expanding Iowa agriculture and supporting value-added products that can be tested, grown and manufactured right here in Iowa.”

Experience with RMA, crop insurance program
Gannon’s position at USDA during the Vilsack administration focused on risk management and economic development. In addition to serving as an assistant administrator in the Risk Management Agency dealing with crop insurance, he also worked on expanding USDA’s business loan program that came into being in 2009 during the recession. Ethanol and biodiesel plants, he notes, have greatly benefitted from that loan program. A graduate of the University of Iowa, he now lives in Des Moines with his wife, Liz.

Gannon says Iowa’s state government needs to do more with its programs and efforts to improve water quality. He adds, “The water quality legislation Gov. Reynolds signed last week does provide more funding for cost sharing for cover crops and other conservation programs over the next 12 years. However, it doesn’t provide nearly enough funding compared to what the Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy says we need statewide to get the job done. Farmers and landowners will respond if given the financial incentive, such as cost share, to put more water quality protection practices on the land.”