Two Ag Committee Incumbents Lose, Many Races Remain Undecided

By Ryan Hanrahan

The House and Senate Agriculture Committees will see changes to membership this upcoming legislative session after at least two incumbent committee members, New York Representative Marcus Molinaro and Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown, were not re-elected. 

As of 8 a.m. ET Wednesday, those races are the only current losses for incumbents on either the House or Senate Ag Committee, though many of the races that had been considered toss-ups heading into election day remain undecided. That includes Republican John Duarte of California, who currently leads his opponent 51-49 with 49% of the vote reported. In Oregon, incumbent Republican Lori Chavez-DeRemer trails her opponent 47.7-45.4 with 69% of the vote reported.

In Colorado, incumbent Democrat Yadira Caraveo of Colorado leads her opponent 49.5-48 with 74% of the vote reported while incumbent Democrat Marie Glusenkamp-Perez of Washington State leads her race 52-48 with 59% of the vote reported.

Two Incumbents Lose

On the House Ag Committee side, Republican incumbent New York Representative Marc Molinaro — who has served on the committee since his election in 2022 — has lost his race to Democrat Josh Riley, according to the New York Times’ Grace Ashford, who reported that Riley’s win flips “New York’s 19th Congressional District in one of the most watched House races of the cycle.”

“A lawyer and former U.S. Senate policy analyst, Mr. Riley spent his campaign railing against what he called profiteering corporations and the politicians who did their bidding, stressing his promise not to accept corporate PAC contributions and his support for term limits. He also emphasized his pledge to defend abortion rights,” Ashford reported. “… Late Tuesday night, Mr. Molinaro released a statement acknowledging his seeming defeat, without offering a formal concession.”

On the Senate Ag Committee side, incumbent Democratic Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown has lost his race to Republican challenger Bernie Moreno.

Politico’s Ally Mutnick reported that “Brown, first elected in 2006, ran heavily on his support (for) abortion rights and sought to portray Moreno as a dishonest business executive who cheated his employees,” Mutnick reported. “Moreno, a car salesperson born in Colombia, emerged from a nasty three-way primary in March with a depleted campaign account and struggled to match Brown’s prodigious fundraising. But GOP super PACs came in to make up the gap.”

Many Incumbents Victorious

On the Senate side, the Associated Press’ Margery A. Beck reported early Wednesday morning that “Nebraska Republican Deb Fischer won reelection Tuesday to a third term in the U.S. Senate, besting challenger Dan Osborn, a former labor union boss and military veteran who gained traction during the race by rejecting both major parties to run as an independent.”

On the House side, the Hill’s Julia Mueller reported that “Republican Rep. Zach Nunn will hold on to his seat in Iowa’s 3rd Congressional District, Decision Desk HQ projects. Nunn was set to score a second term in the House, fending off a tough challenge from Democrat Lanon Baccam. He had flipped the seat from then-Rep. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa) in the midterms.”

In Illinois, Axios’ Justin Kaufmann reported that “Democratic Rep. Eric Sorensen is returning to the U.S. House to represent Illinois’ 17th Congressional District.… Sorensen, a first-term representative, was targeted by national Republicans who saw the district as a possible seat to flip in this election.”

In New Mexico, USA Today’s Jessica Onsurez reported that “Democrat Gabe Vasquez won a second term late Tuesday, defeating Republican challenger Yvette Herrell in a rematch for a U.S. House seat representing New Mexico. The race for New Mexico’s 2nd Congressional District was identified as a potential swing district, even drawing U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson to stump for Herrell in Las Cruces during the summer and a visit to Albuquerque last week by former President Donald Trump. Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries also made a stop in Albuquerque in October.”

In Minnesota, the Minnesota Star Tribune’s Christopher Magan, Walker Orenstein, and Maya Rao reported that “Democratic U.S. Rep. Angie Craig defeated former federal prosecutor and first-time candidate Republican Joe Teirab, winning a fourth term representing the Second District in Minnesota’s most competitive congressional race. With nearly all precincts reporting, Craig had 55% of the vote to Teirab’s 42%, and the Associated Press declared her the winner.”

In Connecticut, WTNH’s Jenn Brink reported that “Democratic Rep. Jahana Hayes won reelection to a U.S. House seat representing Connecticut on Wednesday. The race for the U.S. House’s 5th Congressional District was the most high-profile contest in Connecticut.”

Several Races Remain Undecided

While several incumbents in toss-up races have been declared victorious, a number of House of Representatives races that had Ag Committee incumbents that had been rated as slight favorites heading into election day remain undecided.

That includes Wisconsin Republican Derrick Van Orden, who currently leads his race 51.4-48.6 with 99% of the vote counted, and Nebraska Republican Don Bacon, who currently leads his race 51.4-48.6 with 99% of the vote counted. In North Carolina, incumbent Democrat Don Davis currently leads his race 49.4-47.9 with 99% of the vote counted.

Two Ag Committee Incumbents Lose, Many Races Remain Undecided was originally published by Farmdoc.