In an announcement at the Great Bend Farm and Ranch Expo Friday afternoon, U.S. Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.) said he was thankful for the endorsement of the Kansas Farm Bureau and Kansas Livestock Association, both of which had announced their support of his reelection bid for a second term earlier in the day.
“Rural America is a place worthy of being preserved, maintained and enhanced,” Moran said to those gathered in a tent and the farm show, adding that many have thought and fought for what we hold dear. “None of us have the option of giving up.”
Farming not only feeds and clothes the world, he said, but it also allows children to work along side their parents and grand parents. This is how the positive values and strong work ethic are passed on to future generations.
Moran spoke at a barbecue lunch sponsored by his reelection supporters at the expo. It was the closing day of the annual event and he seemed to be comfortable with his surroundings as he talked to attendees and toured the show grounds.
“Common sense – we learn that here,” Moran said. “I will take that back to Washington. My goal is that I don’t become what I don’t want to be.”
This is what drives him to continue service and what keeps him coming back every weekend to visit his home state, he said. He wants to make sure he always has the best interests of Kansans in mind.
Moran serves as chairman of the Senate Agriculture Appropriations Subcommittee and has been a trusted champion of Kansas farmers and ranchers, organization representatives said as to why they backed the senator.
“We are proud to endorse Jerry Moran for a second term in the United States Senate,” said Kansas Farm Bureau President Rich Felts. “Senator Moran has been a steadfast supporter of Kansas agriculture and our rural way of life.”
He helped ensure that farm kids can continue to work alongside their parents, supported crop insurance when agriculture needed it most and has supported rural Kansas at every turn, Felts said. “He pushed back against federal government bureaucrats who tried to regulate farm ditches and dictate how landowners protect threatened or endangered species. We look forward to working with Senator Moran as he continues to champion Kansas values in the United States Senate.”
“Sen. Moran has defended the interests of Kansas livestock producers at every turn in Congress,” said Kansas Livestock Association Chief Executive Officer Matt Teagarden. “Jerry’s genuine concern for Kansas farmers and ranchers makes him an easy choice for KLA to support in his bid for re-election.”
They cited his leadership fighting U.S. Department of Labor regulations that would have prohibited kids under 16 from working of farms and more stringent water use regulations as examples of his efforts.
Moran said he will continue to for agriculture and to preserve access to health care in rural communities. Both, he said, are vital to their long-term survival.
Kansas Farm Bureau has more than 40,000 farm and ranch family members. The Kansas Livestock Association (KLA), formed in 1894, is a trade association representing nearly 5,200 members on legislative and regulatory issues.
The luncheon was put on by Moran’s Farm And Ranch Team. This is one of a number of coalitions formed by Kansas residents supporting Moran’s reelection bid for his second term. Others include Veterans for Moran, Faith and Family, Sportsmen and the Constitution Coalition.
Moran is seeking his second term as senator after first being elected in 2010.
Thus far, he is the only declared Republican candidate for the seat. On the Democratic side, candidates include Monique Singh of Kansas City and Patrick Wiesner of Lawrence.
The filing deadline is June 1. A primary would take place Aug. 2 with the general election following on Nov. 8.
Moran previously represented the U.S. House of Representatives from 1997 to 2011 and the Kansas State Senate from 1989 to 1997.
Born in Great Bend, Moran was raised in Plainville.
