Many Trump policies – including its biggest trade achievement, the U.S.-Mexico-Canada agreement – favor the state’s turkey farmers as Minnesota exports more turkeys to these countries than anywhere else.
“The turkey industry was very much looking forward to the USMCA. It was very helpful, ”said Sarah Anderson, a Minnesota Turkey Growers Association. “We as an industry were excited when we entered the second round of funding for the Coronavirus Food Assistance Program. We didn’t get into the first, so we had to work to get into it. “
The strength of Trump’s election performance in western Minnesota – home to the nation’s top turkey-producing district with 29.9 million turkeys sold – helped deduct Collin Peterson, chairman of the Democratic House Committee on Agriculture.
Congressman’s three-decade veteran, Peterson, lost his re-election by roughly 50,000 votes. He was unable to resist Trump’s top-quality dominance in the largely rural 7th District, where 37 of 38 counties voted for the president.
Trump won 64 percent of the vote – a slight improvement from 61 percent in 2016. The turnout of the president’s supporters was high: he won roughly 27,000 more votes than four years earlier.
Trump also won District 1 of southern Minnesota, which ranks 10th in the nation in terms of turkey production, and District 8 of northeastern Minnesota, which ranks 15th. As part of his failed efforts to win the swing state in 2020, Trump visited various congressional districts during his re-election campaign.
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller and a member of the Farmers for Trump coalition said that, unlike previous presidents, Trump was interested in family farms and had successful results.
“Everything you touch turns gold,” Miller said. “He has proven his commitment to China, winning trade wars. He wanted to build NAFTA on a better deal, which he did.
In Arkansas, said Representative Steve Womack (R-Ark.), Trump fitted well into his own district, which ranks third in the nation in turkey production. The president represents all Womack counties.
“The American countryside has long been a center of values that define America” Womack said. “Family values, traditions, multi-generational economies, the belief that we are here to take care of ourselves and not necessarily rely on the federal government to do it for us … I think these are the values that rural communities have. , which make them so red in color in terms of their political inclinations. “
Trump also supplied neighboring Arkanasas District 4, another major turkey farmer.
The President’s presentation in the turkey-producing counties, which are typically rural and agricultural areas, were symbols of his deep support in rural America. Trump’s unexpected attraction stemmed from large disparities in rural areas in key vibrant states – and victories on battlefields like North Carolina.
Based on exit votes, Trump won 57 percent of the rural vote, while Biden won 42 percent. Trump has increased the aggregation of his votes in many rural counties, although the proportion of rural votes has decreased compared to 2016. This is partly because Biden was more competitive with Hillary Clinton than among rural voters.
In Texas, where Trump won an impressive 74 percent of rural votes – two percentage points better than in 2016, according to exit surveys – Miller said farmers admire the president’s position.
“He’s a very successful businessman, and that’s how many farmers see themselves that way,” he said. – They’re independent. And he’s nobody, he’s everyone. “
