State Sen. Tim Huelskamp's congressional campaign got a boost from the Kansas Farm Bureau this week.
The state's largest agricultural organization announced Wednesday that it was endorsing Huelskamp in the 1st District race for the U.S. House. Huelskamp won the GOP primary election earlier this month and will face Democratic opponent Alan Jilka in November.
KFB President Steve Baccus said local Farm Bureau chapters had indicated they wanted to back Huelskamp.
"We talk about common sense," he said during a conference call with Kansas media outlets. "If there's any place outside of the country of Iran that needs common sense, it's Washington, D.C. And Tim Huelskamp will bring that to Washington, D.C."
Baccus said the organization did not endorse anyone in the primary election because there were too many candidates in the race.
Huelskamp said if elected, he would join Kansas Farm Bureau in fighting the Environmental Protection Agency's efforts to crack down on farm dust. He also pledged to challenge regulations governing the use of atrazine and other herbicides.
"Common sense is lost on Washington, particularly on the regulatory side," he said. "And I think we need someone up there that will bring that common sense back and real-life experiences as a farmer."
Several other organizations have already endorsed Huelskamp, including Kansans for Life and the Club for Growth Political Action Committee. Club for Growth is a national group advocating limited government, low taxes and policies designed to promote economic growth.
Jilka's campaign responded to Wednesday's announcement by urging Huelskamp to repay more than $110,000 in contributions from Club for Growth, whose Web site features more than 20 articles opposing farm subsidies.
"Tim Huelskamp should immediately return the money this special interest group has donated to him, reject their endorsement and renounce their position that farm subsidies are hurting America," Jilka said in a news release.
During the conference call, a Salina Journal reporter asked Huelskamp if he would join Club for Growth in pushing Congress to end farm subsidies.
Huelskamp said Club for Growth did not contribute money to his campaign but encouraged many of its members to do so. He added that he believes farm subsidies could be improved, but he does not support abolishing them.
"That's not a position I have taken and am taking on that," he said. "I know there are some efforts by some of my opponents to suggest just because a donor takes a certain position, it applies to me. But that's not the case."
Reach Eric Swanson at
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