Focus on Rural America
In the Iowa Caucus and beyond, we partnered with former Lt. Governor Patty Judge, (then former) Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack, and many rural advocates to pressure Democratic presidential candidates to take strong stances on rural issues. By the end of the caucus more than a dozen candidates had collaborated with us, developing rural plans and visiting small towns, farms, and ethanol plants.
Small Refinery Exemptions
In Iowa, ethanol is a big deal. Trump and his EPA kicked the hornet’s nest, granting dozens of small refinery exemptions (SREs) at the behest of their friends and funders in the oil industry. These SREs destroyed demand for billions of gallons of biofuels, hurting small towns and rural communities across the state. This angle was one of our core arguments in showing presidential candidates a clear messaging and policy opening in rural America, where Trump had broken his word and actively harmed the people he claimed to be defending.