Democrats win Congress as Kansas turns blue

Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall lost his reelection bid to Democrat Adam Hamilton. This result marks the first Democratic U.S. Senate victory in Kansas in nearly a century.

Democrats have taken control of both the House and the Senate following the midterm elections. House Agriculture Committee Chairman G.T. Thompson will move into the minority in January. Angie Craig, the current ranking member, is not returning to Congress.

Democrats will elect a new agriculture committee chair after new members are sworn in. Four Republican House members on the committee also lost their bids. Derrick Van Orden of Wisconsin, Monica De La Cruz of Texas, Zach Nunn of Iowa, and Rob Bresnahan of Pennsylvania were all defeated.

Congress has unfinished business before the current term ends. The primary item is the farm bill. Lawmakers must act before Jan. 3, when the current congressional term concludes.

Bart Fischer, an agricultural policy analyst at Texas A&M, says lawmakers are currently exploring what they can accomplish before the year ends. He noted that major issues like Prop 12 and E15 must be addressed.

Fischer stated that there is a conversation playing out about making substantive changes rather than continuing with ad hoc measures. He described the process as promising, noting that all four corners are meeting and working those things out. Fischer says a new farm bill is still possible this year.