Friends of Ag win big on Election Day; Republicans reclaim State House

Nearly 90% of Michigan Farm Bureau's AgriPac-endorsed candidates won their races in the Nov. 5 general election.

"There are numerous bright spots for the farm-friendly candidates our county Farm Bureaus and Michigan Farm Bureau worked hard to support," said MFB elections expert Matt Kapp. "We're proud of the grassroots work that's gone into helping our new and incumbent Friends of Agriculture succeed."

The Friend of Agriculture at the top of the ticket, Donald Trump, won the presidency. In a statement released by the American Farm Bureau Federation, President Zippy Duvall congratulated President-elect Trump and the representatives and senators elected to serve in the 119th Congress.

"We are committed to working with our nation's leaders to strengthen agriculture and rural America, and we look forward to continuing that work in the days ahead," Duvall said. "Now that the American people have spoken, it's time to put politics aside and begin the work of ensuring families nationwide can prosper."

Congressional races

MFB-backed candidate and former state Sen. Tom Barrett secured the 7th Congressional District, defeating former Sen. Curtis Hertel and filling the seat vacated by now U.S. Senator-elect Elissa Slotkin. Pending the Secretary of State confirming the official results, Slotkin will succeed retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow, having defeated former U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers.

Incumbent Friends of Agriculture Reps. Jack Bergman (R), John Moolenaar (R), Bill Huizenga (R), Tim Walberg (R), Debbie Dingell (D), Lisa McClain (R), and John James (R) were also successful and will return to Michigan's Congressional Delegation.

"These leaders have proven their dedication to supporting Michigan farmers, rural communities, and policies that keep agriculture thriving," said Kapp. "Their hard work in championing the needs of our farms and rural areas has made a real impact, and we look forward to what they'll continue to accomplish in Congress for the future of agriculture."

Michigan House races

Entering the 2024-25 session, House Republicans reclaimed majority with a 58-52 split. New state House members include Friends of Agriculture and county Farm Bureau members Jennifer Wortz and Parker Fairbairn.

Wortz, a Branch County Farm Bureau member, will represent the 35th House District, covering Branch and Hillsdale counties and the city of Hudson in Lenawee County. Fairbairn, an Emmet County Farm Bureau board member, will represent the 107th House District, which includes Charlevoix and Emmet counties, along with portions of Cheboygan, Chippewa, and Mackinac counties.

Other successful incumbent Friends of Agriculture with strong farm ties include:

• Rep. Rachelle Smit, an Allegan County Farm Bureau member, was reelected to represent the 43rd House District, covering most of Allegan County and parts of Barry, Eaton and Ottawa counties.
• Rep. Sarah Lightner, a Jackson County Farm Bureau member, will continue to serve the 45th House District, which includes portions of Calhoun and Jackson counties.
• Rep. Luke Meerman, an Ottawa County Farm Bureau member, was reelected to the 89th House District, encompassing parts of Ottawa and Muskegon counties.
• Rep. Bryan Posthumus, a Kent County hops farmer, will once again represent the 90th House District, covering portions of Kent County.
• Rep. Jerry Neyer, an Isabella County Farm Bureau member, was reelected in the 92nd House District, which includes Isabella County and part of Gratiot County.
• Rep. Greg Alexander, a Sanilac County Farm Bureau member, will continue representing the 98th House District, which includes Huron County and portions of Lapeer, Sanilac and Tuscola counties.

MSU Board of Trustees

Winning seats on the MSU Board of Trustees were AgriPac picks Mike Balow and Julie Maday, though the Secretary of State at the time of publishing had not declared the results of the race as official.

Balow and Maday's success reflects Farm Bureau's commitment to ensuring MSU remains a strong Land-Grant institution dedicated to advancing agriculture.

"Michigan Farm Bureau and Michigan State University have been connected since our organization's founding," Kapp said. "We congratulate Mike and Julie on their victory and look forward to working with them as their leadership promises to bring a renewed focus on agricultural education and rural community support at MSU."