Democratic U.S. Senate candidates challenged on ag issues

The four Democrats hoping to run in Iowa's U.S. Senate race this year were challenged on agricultural issues during a televised debate Wednesday evening.

Former lieutenant governor and state ag secretary Patty Judge, state legislator Rob Hogg, attorney Tom Fiegen and veterans advocate Bob Krause participated in the second and final scheduled television debate of their primary race Wednesday night at KCCI-TV's studio in Des Moines.

The winner of Tuesday's primary will face longtime, popular Republican U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley in the general election.

The Democratic candidates fielded pointed questions on agricultural issues early in the 90-minute debate, which was co-sponsored by KCCI-TV and the Des Moines Register.

Hogg, the only among the quartet who was not raised on a farm, emphasized his work on rural issues in the Iowa Legislature, where he has served since 2003. Hogg said he has pushed legislation supporting renewable energy, biofuels, conservation programs and rural schools, and that he has brought together competing interests on the tepid issue of water quality.

'I don't think voters think you're unqualified to address that issue (without having a personal farming background),” Hogg said.

Judge reiterated her belief that a Des Moines water utility's lawsuit against northern Iowa counties over pollutants in the Des Moines River is not an appropriate solution to the state's water quality issues.

'We have a serious water quality problem in Iowa. It is at a crisis point and it has to be addressed,” Judge said. 'My belief is a lawsuit is not the answer.”

Judge said she supports the passage of a proposed three-eighths of 1 percent sales tax increase to fund conservation projects, although that is a state issue.

Fiegen defended his belief the federal ethanol mandate should be phased out. Fiegen said he believes the requirement that the nation's fuel supply include a certain percentage of corn-based ethanol has incentivized farmers to overextend corn production, causing water quality issues.

'Farmers are abandoning good management,” Fiegen said, adding that he believes ending the ethanol mandate would result in better management and conservation practices.

Judge was asked during the debate about the 2008 collective bargaining bill vetoed by then-Gov. Chet Culver, with whom Judge served as lieutenant governor. The veto also was broached during a previous debate on Iowa Public Television.

In the IPTV debate, Judge pushed back at Hogg's suggestion that the governor's office in 2008 declined offers to work with legislators to craft a bill the governor would approve. Judge's account of the events was challenged this week by state labor groups.

'I regret very much the circumstances surrounding that particular piece of legislation,” Judge said during Wednesday night's debate. 'I wish that we could go back and negotiate a good piece of legislation together, but you know, we can't. We can't go backwards. We can only go forward.”

Hogg, a passionate advocate of addressing climate change, was asked how he could work on the issue with the many Republican U.S. Senators who dispute man's role in climate change, or even its existence.

'First of all, one of the things we (as Democrats) can do is win elections,” Hogg said, adding that previous Republican presidents have supported environmental causes. 'Republicans have a tradition upon which they could draw if they want to join us. … Let's unite our country and act on this issue.”

Fiegen was asked, given his stance against accepting campaign donations from political organizations known as PACs and Super PACs, how he could field a competitive campaign against a well-funded general-election opponent.

Grassley has more than $5 million in his campaign account and any number of political groups likely will devote millions of dollars more to support his re-election. Meantime, Fiegen through the end of March had raised $38,683, according to federal campaign finance records.

'If we raise only 20 percent of what Chuck Grassley has, we can run a competitive campaign,” Fiegen said, calling his fundraising effort a 'Bernie Sanders-style campaign” that relies on small, individual donors.

Krause has raised even less money, and has relied heavily on grassroots campaigning and a persistent social media presence.

'(Social media) is the new driving force of America. Ask (former Republican presidential candidate) Jeb Bush how good those multi-million-dollar ad campaigns work. They don't work,” Krause said.

Krause added voters want more direct contact with candidates, and that in this election voters have showed support for non-traditional candidates over experienced politicians.

'I have a lot of experience, but nothing in the last decade,” said Krause, a former state legislator. 'Chuck Grassley is Mr. Establishment. … He is wired to everything. I am wired to very little.”