Poll Shows Farmers Back Trump

Joanna Schroeder

A new poll among farmers show Trump is the Republican forerunner for the nomination due to his strong support of agriculture. Conducted by Farm Futures, the poll found 37 percent of those favoring a Republican candidate said they would vote for Trump “if the election were held today.” Trump’s support among GOP farmers was even stronger at 39 percent from farmers outside Iowa, which holds its caucuses Feb. 1. Texas Sen. Ted Cruz finished second, with 29 percent in Iowa and 20 percent elsewhere among farmers. Florida Sen. Marco Rubio was third, with 12 percent in Iowa and elsewhere while former surgeon Ben Carson was fourth at 6 percent and 10 percent respectively.

Screen Shot 2016-01-18 at 1.06.15 PMTrump’s support is growing in the Farm Futures poll up from 20 percent last August. Farm Futures reports that Trump supporters seemed especially worried about the downturn in the farm economy. Some 57 percent of those outside Iowa said they worried about being able to pay back their debts, the most of any Republican. Trump supporters also reported slower growth, higher debt and lower income.

While hot-button issues like immigration and terrorism dominate the campaign among all voters, both sides of the farm aisle say the most important issue in the 2016 presidential election is “the way government in Washington operates.” Some 30 percent of Democrats and 32 percent of Republicans agreed. Another 10 percent of Democrats and 13 percent Republicans listed terrorism as the top issue.

Around 14 percent of Republicans and 13 percent of Democrats said the economy was the top issue. But the bipartisan consensus broke down on the economic battle lines. The second most important issue in the election for Republicans, with 19 percent, was the federal budget deficit, with only 6 percent of Democrats. But 18 percent of Democrats said “income and wealth inequality” was their number one concern. Support for that issue from Republicans was zero.

The survey was dominated by commercial-sized, full-time farmers with a majority of the response coming from the Midwest. The poll reflects thinking of the largest 10 percent of the more than 2 million farm operations. According to Farm Futures, approximately 85 percent or more of these growers typically vote for Republican candidates at the presidential level. Among those favoring Democrats, former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton was the leader. She gathered 78 percent of the support in Iowa, compared to 20 percent for Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

Trump and Carson both enjoyed support from younger farmers, though Farm Futures notes that’s a relative term in a farm demographic whose average age is 57. The average age of Clinton supporters was the oldest of any of the candidates, both nationwide and in Iowa.

Agribusiness, politics