US Senate race in Georgia tops farm-district races
10 Oct 2008 16:09:31 GMT Source: Reuters
By Charles Abbott WASHINGTON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Sen. Saxby Chambliss, a defender of U.S. farm subsidies, faces a strong challenge for re-election in Georgia in a top race among several contests that could affect congressional handling of farm issues. Formerly its chairman, Chambliss is Republican leader on the Senate Agriculture Committee. During work on the 2008 farm law, he said cotton and rice growers would be hurt unfairly by proposals to sharply reduce crop supports. Two other Republicans on the Agriculture Committee, Norm Coleman of Minnesota and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, also were in tight contests. Comedian Al Franken, who backs programs more geared to helping small farmers than agribusiness, was neck-and-neck with Coleman, according to polls. Iowa Democrat Tom Harkin, Senate Agriculture Committee chairman, and Minnesota Democrat Collin Peterson, House of Representatives Agriculture Committee chairman, are expected to win re-election easily. Despite his support for farm programs important to his state, Chambliss has been hammered at home for voting earlier this month for the $700 billion financial bailout early October. His Senate colleague, Republican Johnny Isakson, also voted for it, but all of Georgia's seven Republican representatives voted against it. In a statement, Chambliss said the bailout would stabilize the U.S. economy. Democratic nominee Jim Martin, who served 18 years in the state's legislature, said the bill failed to end mortgage-lending abuses "that are at the root of this crisis." Farm activists say Chambliss strongly opposed tighter subsidy rules in the 2008 farm law on grounds they would unduly hurt cotton and rice growers. The law denies subsidies to the wealthiest Americans and reduces the amount that growers can receive in two of the three types of crop subsidies. Chambliss also helped create a successor to the "Step 2" cotton subsidy that the World Trade Organization said violated trade rules. In other races that could affect farm policy: --Mike Johanns, former Nebraska governor and who also was U.S. agriculture secretary from 2005-07 in the Republican Bush administration, is running for an open Senate seat against Democrat Scott Kleeb. --North Carolina Rep. Robin Hayes faces a rematch with Larry Kissell, a Democrat and social studies teacher. Hayes is Republican leader on the House Agriculture subcommittee on livestock. He won by 329 votes in 2006, and Democrats have targeted the district this time. --On Colorado's eastern plains, Republican Rep. Marilyn Musgrave, who narrowly won a third term in 2006, is challenged by Betsy Markey, a former aide to Democratic Colorado Sen. Ken Salazar. Musgrave is the Republican leader on the House Agriculture on specialty crops and rural development. --Democrat Nick Lampson, a House Agriculture Committee member, returned to Congress in 2006 by winning in the suburban Houston district held by former House Republican leader Tom DeLay. The Republican candidate is Pete Olson, former chief of staff for Texas Sen. John Cornyn. (Reporting by Charles Abbott, editing by Vicki Allen)
