Naig talks ag economy, run for governor on ‘Iowa Press’

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig is considering a run for governor in 2026, but said he is still talking over the possibility with his family and close supporters.

Naig was a guest Friday on the Iowa PBS show “Iowa Press,” where he also discussed the challenges facing Iowa’s agricultural economy, bird flu and eminent domain.

Naig, a Republican and native Iowan, has been ag secretary since 2018 and was reelected in 2022.

No official bid for governor

Naig said the announcement from Gov. Kim Reynolds that she would not be seeking reelection came as “a bit of a surprise” that has caused him to pause and consider the possibility of running for the position. 

“I still, at this stage of my life, I want to be of service to the state of Iowa, and I want to think about the best ways that I can do that,” Naig said. 

Naig said at this time the discussion is on his “side of the table” with family, friends and supporters to decide if a run for governor is the best path forward. 

When pressed for more details, like staff and campaign strategies in the event of gubernatorial bid, Naig said he’s not to that point. 

“This is around my kitchen table, this is about me getting into a planter tractor here in the next couple weeks and giving a lot of thought to it,” Naig said. “That’s not to say we’re not talking to a lot of folks.” 

Naig said Republicans in Iowa have a deep bench of potential candidates. Attorney General Brenna Bird, Sen. Mike Bousselot, House Speaker Pat Grassley, and Rep. Bobby Kaufmann have said they are considering the gig. 

Changes impacting ag in Iowa 

Naig said the agricultural economy in Iowa is “tough” and while there were positive trade outcomes from the first Trump administration’s foreign policy, Iowa farmers are in a worse position now to weather potential trade wars. 

“We don’t have the kind of buffer in our ag economy — profitability and margins are not where they were even then, today,” Naig said. “There’s not a lot of room to absorb that shock.” 

Naig said this was a message sent to U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins during her recent visit to Iowa, and that the ag department should be ready to support farmers. 

Naig said he is “encouraged” by the countries that are coming to the table to negotiate better trade deals, and hopes to see greater domestic consumption of ag commodities by expanding the ethanol industry and branching into sustainable aviation fuel. 

“What you hope and certainly what we’re advocating for is unleashing that domestic consumption, but needing to make sure that we’ve got an expanded trade portfolio as well,” Naig said. 

Naig said India could be a potential “game changer” if the country were able to make a trade agreement with the country. 

Bird flu 

The nation is in its fourth year of an outbreak of the highly pathogenic avian influenza, which has impacted more than 168 million birds nationally. 

Naig said he is considering options, like a vaccine for birds, now that he was not willing to consider three years ago. He also said there needs to be more people in the animal industries sector of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to respond to outbreaks like HPAI.

The Iowa secretary said he did not believe a “herd immunity” approach, which has been suggested by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., was “a workable solution” to the bird flu.

Other issues 

Naig has been pushing for the Legislature to expand the Choose Iowa program, which helps to market and support Iowa grown products and producers. 

One of its programs is similar to the recently cut federal Local Food for School and Local Food Purchase Assistance programs, which were COVID-era funds to help schools and local institutions purchase from local farmers. 

Naig said he hopes the Choose Iowa versions, which this year were just pilot programs, could be a permanent program, funded through regular appropriations rather than short-term funding pools. 

“We want something that can actually stand the test of time, be around, be something that you can plan for,” Naig said. 

Naig also addressed the issue of eminent domain, which has been a growing topic of debate across the state, particularly in relation to a carbon sequestration pipeline that has planned more than 1,000 miles of pipeline in the state. 

“It should be rare,” Naig said. “It should be the least desirable option to get something done, and there should be overwhelming voluntary agreements in place before something like a project — any project with eminent domain — would go forward.”