Understanding the Impact of the 2026 Elections

As lawmakers prepare for a new legislative session, the results of the 2026 elections will influence the future of agriculture policy in Washington and across the country. TAG's comprehensive election report provides insights into major races, changes in party control and the political dynamics that could affect dairy farmers. Understanding these results is an important step in helping farmers stay engaged and make their voices heard on issues that matter most.

Your voice matters: Help advance the Securing Agriculture Workforce Act

Source: Voice of Milk

Help advance the Securing Agriculture Workforce Act (SAWA), bipartisan legislation that would modernize the H-2A program by expanding workforce access, controlling labor costs and simplifying the hiring process for farmers. Encourage your U.S. House representative to join Chairman Glenn "GT" Thompson as a co-sponsor and support a stronger workforce solution for agriculture. Click the link below for additional resources.

Register for the next Coffee Chat: Preparing for 2027 on your dairy

Source: Voice of Milk

Join us for our next Coffee Chat featuring Jim Moriarty, Vice President of Dairy Lending at Compeer Financial, as he shares his outlook for the dairy industry heading into 2027 and what producers can do now to position their operations for success in the year ahead. Drawing on more than 30 years of agricultural lending experience and his work with dairy farms across the country, Jim will discuss market trends, financial considerations, risk management strategies and opportunities that may impact dairy businesses in the coming year.

Takeaways from midterm elections in Minnesota 

• The biggest result is the return of unified DFL control at the Capitol. The DFL has secured majorities in both the House and Senate, and with Amy Klobuchar winning the governor’s race, Minnesota will return to a DFL trifecta after two years of divided government.
• The House produced the larger partisan shift. After entering the election essentially evenly divided, the DFL flipped a number of Republican-held districts in both the Twin Cities suburbs and Greater Minnesota. Notable incumbent defeats include GOP Reps. Natalie Zeleznikar (3B), Jeff Dotseth (11A), Erica Schwartz (18A), Aaron Repinski (26A), Danny Nadeau (34A), Wayne Johnson (41A), and Jeff Witte (57B).
• The DFL also picked up Republican-held open House seats, including District 14A in St. Cloud, District 36A in the Lino Lakes/White Bear Township area, and District 41B in the east metro.
• In the Senate, the DFL expanded upon the very narrow 34-33 majority it held entering the election. Republican incumbents Jim Abeler (District 35), Michael Kreun (District 32), and Bill Lieske (District 58) were defeated by DFL challengers, while the DFL also captured Republican-held open seats including Districts 24 and 37.
• One notable exception is Senate District 4 in the Moorhead area, where Republican Austin Peterson currently leads DFL incumbent Rob Kupec by only four votes. That result should be viewed as preliminary pending canvassing and a likely recount. There are also a handful of other exceptionally close legislative contests that could be subject to recounts.
• Politically, the results represent a meaningful change from the 2025-26 Legislature. Rather than the House power-sharing arrangement produced by the 67-67 split, the incoming Legislature will begin with DFL control of both chambers (along with the governor, a “trifecta”). The precise size of those majorities will depend on canvassing and recounts in the closest races.