GOP presidential candidates aplenty expected at Iowa Ag Summit

DES MOINES - Potential presidents will talk farm issues while in Iowa this weekend.

Jeb Bush, Scott Walker, Rick Santorum and Mike Huckabee are among the roughly dozen Republicans considering a bid for the White House in 2016 who have committed to attend Saturday's Iowa Ag Summit at the Iowa State Fairgrounds.

The event was organized by Central Iowa agribusiness leader and GOP mega-donor Bruce Rastetter, who will quiz each candidate on agriculture-related policies.

'What we thought was, rather than have the classic speech or a debate among the candidates, to just have a Q-and-A in which we'd go through in a public format some of the key issues facing agriculture both in Iowa and the country,” Rastetter said. 'The expectation is they will give actual answers to the questions. It won't be a debate back and forth, but it will be a conversation.”

Rastetter said he will ask about issues such as farm policies, trade, immigration and renewable fuels.

'It's a great opportunity for the candidates to really express their views on renewable fuels, on international trade, on regulations … and tax issues and energy issues affecting agriculture. Ag is a lot more than the farm bill,” said Gov. Terry Branstad, who will speak at the event. 'I think it's a brilliant idea to have this ag summit.”

All 1,000 free tickets for the event have been claimed. Rastetter said organizers issued about 200 media credentials.

The Iowa Ag Summit is the second in a series of multicandidate events being held by conservative interests in the lead-up to next year's first-in-the-nation caucuses, as Republicans sift through a large field of candidates seeking an open White House.

Citizens United and U.S. Rep. Steve King of northwest Iowa hosted the Iowa Freedom Summit in February. The evangelical group Iowa Faith and Freedom Coalition has one scheduled for April, and the social group Family Leader plans a series of regional events. The Republican Party of Iowa also is planning an event.

Rastetter - who has donated more than $1.5 million to mostly Republican candidates and committees, according to state and federal records - billed the Ag Summit as a bipartisan event and invited candidates from both parties.

But the only Democrat scheduled to speak is former Iowa Lt. Gov. Patty Judge, who is not a presidential candidate. The Iowa Democratic Party did not respond to a request for comment.

Although many of the GOP candidates have been in Iowa multiple times in the past year, the Ag Summit is drawing former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush here for the first time since he announced his intent to explore a run for president.

Others who planned to attend are Chris Christie, Ted Cruz, Jim Gilmore, Lindsey Graham, George Pataki, Rick Perry and Donald Trump. Marco Rubio was scheduled to attend but said this week he cannot because of a family event.