Fertilizer

Central Sands Dairy LLC has reached a $245,000 settlement with the Wisconsin Department of Justice over alleged violations of the state's wastewater discharge laws. The company, which operated a large concentrated animal feeding operation in Nekoosa, was accused of discharging manure to groundwater in violation of state quality standards, improperly applying manure to fields in Juneau County, failing to upgrade a required manure storage facility, and not submitting a required plan to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. Attorney General Josh Kaul said the settlement supports groundwater protection efforts. Under the agreement, Central Sands must abandon its waste storage facilities at the Juneau County site by July 1, 2027.

Water quality and Iowa's elevated cancer rates — long politically sensitive topics given the state's reliance on agriculture — have become central issues in this year's midterm campaigns. Iowa has the second-highest rate of newly diagnosed cancers nationally, with prostate, breast and lung cancer cases rising faster than the U.S. average. State-funded University of Iowa research attributes much of the above-normal rates to demographic and behavioral factors, though researchers are now examining environmental contributors, including nitrates from fertilizer and animal waste that run off into rivers and drinking water supplies.

Candidates across the ballot — including U.S. Senate hopefuls Josh Turek and Ashley Hinson, gubernatorial contenders Rob Sand and Zach Lahn, and agriculture secretary rivals Chris Jones and incumbent Mike Naig — are addressing the issue, though they differ sharply on whether conservation practices should be mandatory. Gov. Kim Reynolds recently committed $320 million toward water infrastructure and conservation incentives, following lawn-watering restrictions and a prior failed lawsuit by Des Moines-area utilities against upstream counties over nitrate removal costs.

President Trump signed an executive order deferring collection of the federal excise tax on dyed (off-road) diesel through the end of the year and barring IRS penalties for using it on highways, as diesel prices topped $6 per gallon nationally for the first time, driven higher by the U.S.-Israel conflict with Iran, restrictions near the Strait of Hormuz, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian refineries. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds followed with a proclamation allowing dyed diesel on public roads to haul crops, fertilizer and manure through February 2027. At least a dozen other Republican governors, plus North Carolina's Democratic governor, took similar action. Idaho Gov. Brad Little signed a separate order suspending state dyed-diesel inspections for 30 days while agencies review enforcement policy, with legislative leaders voicing support.

Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins said federal estimates project roughly $640 million in savings for Iowa farmers this harvest, with state actions adding further relief. Energy analysts cautioned the tax deferral mainly benefits truckers and will do little to address the underlying supply-driven price spike. Farm groups and Republican officials praised the moves as timely relief amid tight farm margins ahead of the November elections.

Kansas, which has not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1932, has become an unexpected midterm battleground. Republican Sen. Roger Marshall faces a tighter-than-anticipated race against megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton, with recent polls, including a YouGov survey, showing Hamilton narrowly ahead. The Cook Political Report has moved the contest from "Likely Republican" to "Toss Up," prompting the GOP's Senate Leadership Fund to pour millions into a seat once considered safe. Hamilton, pastor of the country's largest Methodist congregation, draws support across party lines and is campaigning heavily in red, agriculture-heavy counties.

Analysts attribute the shift to voter frustration over the economy, rising diesel and fertilizer costs during harvest season, tariff disputes affecting farmers and ranchers angered by eased beef-import tariffs, and immigration enforcement actions. Marshall, a close Trump ally endorsed by the president, retains a fundraising edge but faces scrutiny over lawsuits against patients with unpaid bills, some of whom were arrested. Trump's declining approval in the state has complicated Marshall's path, with Republicans outnumbering Democrats nearly two to one statewide, making Hamilton's bid for unaffiliated and crossover voters pivotal to national Senate control.

Iowa, which has voted reliably Republican for over a decade and backed Donald Trump three times, is shaping up as an unexpectedly competitive battleground in the 2026 midterms. Democrats see real chances to flip the governorship, a Senate seat, and several House races, aided by a large bloc of independent voters and a state economy strained by tariffs on agricultural goods, rising diesel prices tied to the Iran conflict, and rural hospital closures linked to Medicaid cuts. Polling shows a majority of Iowans disapprove of Trump and believe his policies have raised living costs.

Republican Sen. Joni Ernst's retirement opens a competitive Senate race between Rep. Ashley Hinson and Democrat Josh Turek, a former Paralympic gold medalist. In a recent debate, Hinson repeatedly attacked Turek's attendance record in the Iowa legislature, including missed votes on the state farm bill and rural health funding, and demanded he refund per diem payments; Turek countered by criticizing her lack of in-person town halls. In the governor's race, Democratic State Auditor Rob Sand is pitching an economic-populist message against Republican Zach Lahn, who has faced questions over his Iowa residency. Analysts note Iowa's history of razor-thin House margins, making it a key test of whether Democrats can reclaim congressional control.

Kansas, which has not sent a Democrat to the U.S. Senate since 1932, has become an unexpected battleground as megachurch pastor Adam Hamilton mounts a competitive challenge against Republican incumbent Roger Marshall. At least one recent poll showed Hamilton with a narrow lead, prompting race-rating shifts from safe Republican to competitive. His campaign taps into farm-belt frustration over tariffs and rising costs that has also unsettled GOP prospects in Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.

Hamilton, founder of the country's largest Methodist congregation, casts himself as a moderate and independent-minded Democrat, criticizing Trump-era policies on tariffs, health care, and immigration while promising a less partisan tone. Marshall and Republican surrogates, including Vice President JD Vance and Senator Ted Cruz, have attacked Hamilton's church and theology, drawing rebukes from Methodist clergy. Marshall also faces scrutiny over lawsuits against patients for unpaid medical bills. Trump's approval in the state has slipped, adding to signs of Republican vulnerability in a seat long considered secure.

Democratic gubernatorial candidate David Crowley launched a statewide tour blaming Republican rival Tom Tiffany for record-high diesel prices in Wisconsin, visiting a Kewaunee County farm with U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin. Farmer Clark Riemer described 2025 as his worst farming year in 35 years, citing soaring fuel and fertilizer costs tied to geopolitical instability, including U.S.-Israel strikes on Iran that disrupted fertilizer pricing.

Crowley criticized Tiffany's House votes against resolutions to end the Iran conflict, arguing the ongoing war has driven up fuel costs and hurt farmers. Tiffany countered by attacking Crowley's record on taxes and budget shortfalls as Milwaukee County executive, framing his own platform around tax cuts to ease affordability pressures.

Wisconsin diesel prices reached $6.56 per gallon, worsened by refinery outages in Illinois and Indiana and Russian export bans following Ukrainian attacks on refineries. Both candidates support repealing the state's minimum markup law on gasoline, though industry representatives dispute claims that repeal would meaningfully lower prices, noting crude oil costs are the primary driver of pump prices.

Rebecca Cooke defeated Emily Berge in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District Democratic primary, setting up a third consecutive matchup against Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden. Cooke, who grew up on a dairy farm near Eau Claire and works as a waitress and small-business owner, narrowly lost to Van Orden in 2024 by less than three percentage points after also losing the 2022 primary. She entered this year's primary with backing from the DCCC's "Red to Blue" program, while Berge campaigned as a local alternative skeptical of national party influence. Cooke holds a fundraising edge, having raised about $8.6 million to Van Orden's $7.5 million, though he retains nearly $3 million more cash on hand.

The western Wisconsin district, covering Eau Claire and La Crosse, has trended Republican in presidential races but is rated a toss-up, making it Democrats' top target in the state as they seek to retake the House majority in November. Cooke is campaigning on rural frustration over Trump administration policies, including tariffs that have hurt farm exports, cuts to Medicaid and SNAP, and rising fuel and fertilizer costs tied to the Iran conflict, while Van Orden defends his record backing Trump's agenda. The race is part of a broader Wisconsin battleground that includes the 1st District, where nurse Mitchell Berman will challenge GOP Rep. Bryan Steil, and the solid-red 7th District, won by Sean Duffy's son-in-law Michael Alfonso in the Republican primary.