Vance has a track record of supporting Ohio agriculture

By Matt Reese

Ohio Senator J.D. Vance was selected as the running mate by the Trump Campaign in July, leading up to the November presidential election. Though he only has a short track record in the political world, Vance has been a strong and responsive supporter of Ohio agriculture during his time in office.

“From Day 1 as a Senator, Mr. Vance has been very attentive to Ohio Farm Bureau members, making himself accessible to them to discuss their concerns when it comes to issues that could have an impact on agriculture in Ohio or across the country. As a designated Friend of Agriculture by Ohio Farm Bureau members, Senator Vance grasps the issues facing our members and rural Ohioans and has made it clear, through his actions, that he is listening and that he cares,” said Bill Patterson, President of Ohio Farm Bureau. “Above all, his views on agriculture policy align with that of our membership and when faced with an issue critical for farmers of all types, Mr. Vance has ensured our organization and our members have a seat at the table and has helped us deliver our message.”

This spring, Vance met with Ohio Farm Bureau presidents in Washington, D.C. and expressed alignment with multiple issues of concern for Ohio agriculture.

“There has been a lot of the debate about the death tax. Fundamentally, are you trying to force family farms to liquidate in order to pay their taxes or do we want to preserve this family farm dynamic where one generation supports the next generation and really builds a tradition of farming? It’s really hard to do when you’re dealing with very liquid assets. The most liquid asset maybe of all is land for farming, which is why I think especially with regard to our farmers you want to give them protection from the death tax,” Vance said. “And we are at a point where we live in a world where we have economic adversaries now that we just didn’t have 30 years ago, specifically the Chinese Communist Party, and we have to ask ourselves if we want to own our own natural resources ourselves. Of course, the answer has to be ‘yes’ and I think we have to stop the Chinese from buying up American farmland. It’s not a major problem yet, but it’s a growing problem and I think in an accelerating way. They’re showing a lot of interest and buying a lot of American farmland. I think we have to stop that. I suspect that there’s going to be pretty strong bipartisan support behind doing this, it’s just a question of how you do it.”

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine was also supportive of Vance as Donald Trump’s running mate.

“J.D. is a father, military veteran, best-selling author, and has served Ohio well as our U.S. Senator. In addition, J.D.’s unique life story will resonate with Republicans and Independent voters across the country. J.D. will also bring a new generational perspective to the ticket,” DeWine said. “A son of Middletown, Ohio, J.D. can relate to the many Americans who are struggling right now to make ends meet in this era of crushing inflation, and a housing market that is unaffordable and shutting many out of a chance at achieving the American dream. J.D. also knows that securing our border is imperative.”