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WA-5 debate: candidates split on farm policy as family farms, regulation and subsidies take center stage
Summary
Candidates framed farm policy as a national-security and local-economy issue. Anne Marie Danemas prioritized family farms, regional production and R&D; Renee Holiday blamed "Agenda 21" regulation and urged deregulation and lower fuel costs; other candidates discussed visa changes and export infrastructure.
At a Spokane forum for Washington's 5th Congressional District, candidates described contrasting approaches to agriculture and the farm bill, with the exchange centering on support for family farms, regulation and the role of federal policy.
Asked how she would advance a farm bill, Anne Marie Danemas said "protecting America's food supply is a matter of national security," argued for prioritizing family farms, boosting regional production and funding research and development. She called for policies to lower fertilizer costs and argued that farm subsidies were skewed toward the largest producers.
Renee Holiday, responding for her team, attributed farming difficulties to what she described as "hyperregulation" from programs she referred to as "Agenda 21" and said the farm bill she would favor would focus on deregulation and measures to reduce fuel costs for farmers, including domestic drilling. Holiday also said she represents property and water-rights groups that have opposed state enforcement actions.
Other participants connected farm and immigration policy: Carmela Conroy and Rick Flynn emphasized updating visa processes and staffing the administrative systems that process border cases so seasonal workers can legally assist harvests. Candidates also tied infrastructure and export capacity to farm competitiveness.
The debate included numeric claims that were not sourced in the forum: Danemas said "90% of food subsidies go to the top 10% of producers," and Holiday asserted large deficit and reserve figures; those statements were reported here as claims made onstage and not independently verified.
The forum did not result in any formal policy action; the exchange highlighted differences candidates may press during the primary campaign and flagged questions voters may ask about subsidy distribution, regulatory compliance and immigration as they affect farm labor.
