One farmer was planting corn when a gubernatorial candidate asked if he’d be interested
Candidates in upcoming state elections are bringing in members of the ag community to be part of their teams.
In Arizona, for example, Republican gubernatorial nominee Andy Biggs brought in a farmer as his running mate.
He tapped former state Sen. Sine Kerr to be his lieutenant governor.
Kerr and her husband ran a dairy farm for almost 50 years before the family transitioned to a cash crop and beef operation.
In addition, in May 2025 the Trump Administration appointed her to serve as the state executive director of the USDA Farm Service Agency in Arizona.
“From the more than 40 years I’ve worked as a farmer to representing rural communities in the West Valley out to Yuma, I know what our ranchers and farmers need to be successful and pass on their legacy to the next generation,” Kerr said in a July 31 press release. “Rural Arizona will always have a seat at the table in a Biggs-Kerr administration, and I’m looking forward to rallying rural communities across our state to deliver a win for Andy Biggs in November.”
In Nebraska, Ben Steffen, a producer from Humboldt, will have his name on the ticket alongside Democratic gubernatorial candidate Lynne Walz.
“When Lynne Walz called me and asked me if I could consider being her running mate, I was in the field planting corn,” Steffen told supporters on Tuesday before criticizing Gov. Jim Pillen’s handling of property tax relief.
“Pillen continues to promise property tax relief, but he couldn’t bring people together to get it done,” he said.
And last month, Zach Lahn, the Republican candidate for governor in Iowa, selected Derek Wulf, a state representative and livestock and cash crop farmer from Hudson, as his running mate.
Lahn chose Wulf for his work on multiple issues.
“Derek has been an Iowa First fighter for years in the legislature,” Lahn said in a statement. “Whether it was leading on Right to Repair, defending private property rights, or stopping corporate overreach, Derek has been there for Iowans, and I am very proud to have him partner with me on this campaign and look forward to serving with him at the Capitol.”
Lahn’s Democratic counterpart Rob Sand also has a farmer on the ticket.
Sand chose Dave Muhlbauer, a farmer from Crawford County, to be his lieutenant governor.
“When there’s work on the farm to be done, or your neighbor needs help baling hay, you don’t ask who they voted for,” Muhlbauer said in a statement. “You put on your boots and lend a hand. Rob understands that, and that’s why I’m proud to be part of Team Sand.”