Dear Reader,

In 2020, I traveled to rural Iowa to report on the rapid expansion of Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations (CAFOs). Many residents were concerned about pollution from the massive CAFOs cropping up alongside their homes and streams. But at the time they were a vocal minority, and some of them didn’t link political leadership to the problem.

That’s changing. This year was a bad one for nitrate levels in the state’s water. New reports on rising cancer rates have shaken residents. And broader attention is being paid to pesticide exposure.

As consequential midterm elections approach, the long-held status quo—where multinational agricultural corporations shape both how Iowa farms and how it governs—could shift.

This week, we’re reporting on that moment from two directions. Contributor Leah McBride Mensching delivers an on-the-ground report on agricultural water contamination and how it is driving voter sentiment and candidates’ positions. And I report on Republican candidate for governor Zach Lahn’s past affiliations, including connections to the family behind Koch Industries, which are prompting skepticism about his promises to stand up to industry.