Iowa farmer announces run for ag secretary

Wade Dooley, a farmer and owner of a custom seeding operation near Marshalltown, announced his Democratic campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Tuesday.

According to a press release from Dooley’s campaign, the sixth-generation farmer intends to advocate for family farms and communities over the “priorities of big business and political insiders” if elected.

“We have so much potential here in Iowa — we have the best soils, the most innovative people, and some of the most advanced technology on the planet,” Dooley said in the release. “We have communities that, with a little support, could flourish and grow. We have water systems that, with care and effort, can be clean, safe, and fun for all.”

Dooley graduated from Iowa State University and returned to the family farm in 2008. He has served as a board member with Practical Farmers of Iowa and worked to implement conservation practices on the farm including no-till, cover crops, oxbow restoration and enrollment of tracts in the Conservation Reserve Program.

He also owns and operates Dooley Ag Stewardship Inc., which sells seed and cover crop mixes and offers custom seed application.

Dooley is gunning for the Democratic nomination on the ticket to replace current Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig, who is running for reelection. Naig, a Republican, has been in the role since 2018.

Dooley said he is running because the communities and families the depend on agriculture “deserve a partner who will help them succeed.”

Chris Jones, an author and water scientist, was expected to officially launch his campaign — also for the Democratic spot on the ticket — Thursday in Des Moines.