The House Democratic Steering and Policy Committee voted Monday to recommend Minnesota Rep. Angie Craig take over as ranking member of the Agriculture Committee in 2025, unseating the party’s current leader, David Scott.
The entire Democratic caucus will consider the recommendation Tuesday morning. Craig acknowledged the steering committee's recommendation was likely just the first step, and she will spend Monday evening and time on the House floor to continue encouraging colleagues to support her tomorrow.
"I'm very honored to be recommended," Craig said to reporters following the meeting. "And have promised that I will do my level best to work on behalf of family farmers and rural communities for Democrats."
Craig would give Minnesota – and Midwest agriculture – a one-two punch on farm policy as Republicans take over the White House and both houses of Congress in 2025. Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., is set to take over as ranking member of the Senate Agriculture Committee in January after the retirement of Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich.
The steering committee voted to recommend Craig on the first ballot over Scott and California Rep. Jim Costa, according to a source familiar with the vote.
Craig was first elected to Congress in 2019 and was appointed to the Ag Committee that same year.
Throughout her campaign for the top Democratic role on the panel, she stressed the need for bipartisanship and for improving communication to rural communities on behalf of the party.
While Democrats across the country struggled in rural districts during November elections, Craig won her normally competitive district outside the Minneapolis-St. Paul area by 13.5 percentage points. Craig touted this as proof she can connect with ag country, and assist members facing difficult reelections.
“My vision for the Agriculture Committee is simple,” Craig wrote in her “dear colleague” letter in announcing her bid. “Listen to my members. Help them be successful. Find common ground where possible. And stand my ground where needed.”
Other Democrats on the committee who represent very competitive districts appeared to back this message in the days ahead of the steering committee’s meeting.
“She has a personal story that I think resonates with what we work on on the House Ag Committee. She comes from a family that benefited from SNAP benefits, she has a family that were once southern farmers, and know kind of the struggles of our southern commodities. She comes from the Midwest, so she understands corn and soybeans,” Rep. Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., previously told Agri-Pulse. “So I think she brings a vision.”
Following Monday's vote, Craig said part of her pitch was pointing out a lack of ranking members from the middle of country.
"If we want to represent this whole country, then we need ranking members and leaders in the Democratic party who are from the whole country," Craig said.
Scott, 79, chaired the Ag Committee from 2021 through 2022 but questions had grown about his health, and Democratic leaders didn't step in to protect him from challengers.
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