by OK Henderson, Radio Iowa
Former Iowa Farm Bureau president Craig Lang has filed the paperwork to launch a campaign for state ag secretary. Lang, a Republican, says several months ago he told Governor Kim Reynolds he intended to run if current Ag Secretary Bill Northey resigned.
Reynolds will name Northey’s replacement soon after Northey’s wins Senate confirmtion for his new federal job. “I don’t anticipate Governor Reynolds would appoint me, period, so I’ve made the decision,” Lang told Radio Iowa. “As soon as Bill is voted affirmatively in the US Senate, I’m going to start my campaign.”
That means Lang will likely face a GOP primary in 2018 against the governor’s choice for state ag secretary. Lang wants to spark a statewide conversation about diversity in agriculture, rather than relying primarily on corn and soybean production.
