Des Moines, IA — Today, the national political organization Food & Water Action endorsed a slate of 27 Iowa candidates for state and federal office committed to protecting clean water from industrial agricultural pollution. The group will now begin canvassing in support of clean water candidates in the Des Moines, Iowa City and Davenport metro areas, with the goal of knocking on over 50,000 doors, talking to 8,000 voters, and distributing 1,000 lawn signs reading simply “Fix the Damn Water.”

Recent polling commissioned by Food & Water Action found that 82% of Iowa voters would be more likely to vote for an elected official who makes it a top priority to protect clean water, including by cutting industrial agriculture pollution. Iowa has the nation’s highest waterway cancer-linked nitrate contamination and fastest rising cancer rate, as well as more factory farms and pesticide use than any other state.

Food & Water Action Political Director Sam Bernhardt issued the following statement:

“Clean water and cancer are on the ballot in Iowa this year — the balance of power in Des Moines and Washington may well hang in the balance. We are proud to endorse a broad slate of candidates that will bolster clean water regulations and protect public health. We are confident this position will be a winning one. There is still time for candidates of all stripes to get right by clean water voters.

“In nearly two decades of working on the ground in Iowa, we have never before seen such broad based support for clean water protections. We are ready to get to work electing candidates that will put communities and the environment over polluters. It’s time to end industrial agriculture’s free pass to pollute.”

Food & Water Action has endorsed the following candidates:

• Josh Turek for U.S. Senate
• U.S. House
  • Christina Bohannan (IA-01)
  • Lindsay James (IA-02)
  • Sarah Trone Garriott (IA-03)
• Chris Jones for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture
• Iowa Senate
  • Cindy Winckler (SD 49)
  • Heather Matson (SD 21)
  • Herman Quirmbach (SD 25)
  • Janice Weiner (SD 45)
  • Molly Donahue (SD 37)
  • Nikhil Wagle (SD 47)
  • Tony Bisignano (SD 15)
• Iowa House
  • Aime Wichtendahl (HD 80)
  • Andrew Fitzgerald (HD 51)
  • Angel Ramirez (HD 78)
  • Austin Baeth (HD 36)
  • Beth Wessel-Kroeschell (HD 49)
  • Cynthia Oppedal Paschen (HD 55)
  • Daniel Gosa (HD 81)
  • Elinor A. Levin (HD 89)
  • Heather Sievers (HD 40)
  • Mary Madison (HD 31)
  • Megan Srinivas (HD 30)
  • Molly Buck (HD 41)
  • Shawn Olorundami (HD 1)
  • Shawn Ellerbroek (HD 57)
  • Tracy Ehlert (HD 79)