Ask Iowa Agriculture Secretary Michael Naig

Todd McGreevy Last updated 
Todd McGreevy
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Rochelle Arnold <rochellearnold---->
Date: Thu, Feb 5, 2026 at 9:12 AM
Subject: Fw: Inquiry to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship
To: Todd McGreevy <todd@rcreader.com>, Kathleen McCarthy <km@rcreader.com>
Hi Todd and  Kathleen:
After several attempts to reach Secretary Naig and his team for an interview over the last two weeks I finally got a response. They are declining participation at this time. (See forwarded email)
Thanks 
Rochelle 


----- Forwarded Message -----From: "Team Naig" <info@mikenaig.com>To: "Rochelle Arnold" <rochelle--->

Sent: Thu, Feb 5, 2026 at 6:09 AM

Subject: Re: Inquiry to the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land StewardshipRochelle,
Thank you for reaching out. We’re going to decline participation at this time. 
-Colin

On Feb 4, 2026, at 4:42 PM, Rochelle Arnold <rochellearnold951@yahoo.com> wrote:
Hi Don:

Thank you for your response. I have sent several emails to info@MikeNaig.com and Lisa Chensvold, the receptionist who has forwarded our request to Secretary Naig’s Team. I also included the interview questions.

We are the media from Davenport, Iowa, River Cities' Reader. We have just concluded our interview with Iowa secretary of agriculture candidate Chris Jones and will be turning that into a podcast.

We would really appreciate a response from Secretary Naig or his team by replying to our interview questions via email or better yet a phone interview. Unfortunately, I have had no luck getting any kind of response.

I would think Secretary Naig would be happy to share his answers for the upcoming election in Iowa as River Cities' Reader is a well respected and well read newspaper.

We would like to publish an online article next week and then a print article in March. If there is any way you could help me with this, it would be greatly appreciated. 

If you could provide a phone number I could call, to someone I could speak to directly that would be ideal. This is a fantastic opportunity for Secretary Naig to capture readers and their votes where readers can compare the candidates answers to the interview questions.

I am attaching the interview questions and introduction to this email as well. As the media, we are just trying to give all the candidates a fair opportunity to provide their answers to the questions so many Iowan's are asking.

Sincerely,
Rochelle Arnold 
Freelance Journalist 
River Cities' Reader 


Hello and welcome. My name is Rochelle Arnold and I am a freelance journalist working on an upcoming story for the River Cities' Reader covering the candidates for the 2026 Iowa Secretary of Agriculture election, which will be held on November 3,  2026.  Primary elections will be held on June 2.  

With me today is Incumbent Republican Iowa secretary of agriculture  Mike Naig who is running for re-election.

Mike Naig grew up on a family farm in the northwest corner of the state near Cylinder, Iowa and he continues to be involved in the operation today. Mike is a graduate of Buena Vista University in Storm Lake with degrees in biology and political science. He and his wife Jaime have three boys.

Mike was elected as the 15th Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in November 2018 and was reelected in November 2022. He previously served as the Deputy Secretary at the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. In a state where agriculture is a leading economic driver, Mike knows that protecting our air, soil and water is essential to our success. He works with initiatives that encourage public-private partnerships and leads efforts that will protect our natural resources.

Thanks for being here today Mike, let's get started:

1. Is your campaign or candidacy going to take any PAC donations?  (Political Action Committee)
My thinking is that the BigAg money will back your opponent via PACs and if you stood firm that you will take NO PAC funding, you would stand out as not a captured candidate who will continue to operate a captured state wide agency. Please comment on such a proposed campaigning strategy!

2. Is current US immigration policy impacting Iowa's agricultural work force positively or negatively, and how? 

3. Which programs for recruiting and hiring foreign non US citizens workers in agribusiness in Iowa are working well or poorly, and why? 

4. What are your ideas and policy objectives that will encourage and retain younger Iowans to stay in Iowa and help grow the agricultural economy that Iowa thrives on? 

5. What are the top three things a land owner or farmer can do today to reduce pollution run-off in the soil or pollution run-off in the atmosphere? 

6. Do you consider Iowan's concerns about geo-engineering our air, soil and water by aerial spraying contaminants via commercial and non-commercial planes in Iowa's skies a legitimate topic for closer examination and discourse? Why or why not?

7. Should Iowa farm operators diversify their crops to include more than soy and corn, and if so what are the plants Iowans should focus on for such future diversity? 

8. Do you support Iowa tax dollars to promote and/or subsidize non-THC hemp as a sustainable and profitable crop rather than ethanol driven incentives? 

9. Are you for or against Iowa allowing Eminent Domain to prevail when it comes to securing a proposed CO2 pipeline being established in Iowa?

10. To what degree does your candidacy for Ag Sec align with or not align with RFK Jr.'s MAHA agenda at the federal level? Is there any one specific agenda or policy item RFK has articulated around MAHA that you especially support or especially oppose and why?