Tariffs could complicate key Senate races
WASHINGTON — The potential for a trade war with China is already complicating some key Senate races ahead of the November midterms, especially for Republicans hoping to expand their majority.
President Donald Trump’s announcement that he would impose tariffs on steel and aluminum imports sparked retaliatory threats from China. The country vowed to slap tariffs on top U.S. exports that also come from states with some of the most competitive Senate contests.
In rural states, Democrats are already hitting their Republican opponents for not strongly condemning the tariffs that could hurt their agriculture industry. In other states with different sectors that could either benefit from and be hurt by the tariffs, the politics are complicated, particularly for Republicans who’ve backed free-trade policies.
Several states are grappling with the potential negative effect should China follow through with the tariffs on exports, which include grains and seeds — including soybeans — aircraft parts and machinery.
Six of the top 10 soybean-producing states have Senate races this year — North Dakota, Indiana, Missouri, Ohio, Minnesota and Nebraska.
In some races, the potential effects of the tariffs are already complicating matters for Republicans who don’t want to break too much with Trump. The president remains popular in their states and with the party’s base voters. And in some cases, the issue has already become a partisan fight.
GOP Rep. Kevin Cramer, who is challenging Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in North Dakota, said Monday that part of the uproar over tariffs was fueled by Democrats.
“There are people, particularly Democrats, who want to pour fuel on the fire of hysteria,” he told Prairie Public Radio.
Cramer raised concern over what the tariffs would mean for North Dakota’s agriculture industry. But that came after he toned down his initial response on Twitter.
The congressman tweeted last week that he “will always stand up for farmers” that “includes opposition to tariffs” that could harm the state’s agricultural sector. That tweet was deleted and replaced with one that also praised Trump for standing up for China. Cramer stressed that he was in contact with the White House, but he “would like to see the president take a more measured approach as the impulse of position has created unnecessary turmoil for our markets.”
Cramer then tweeted Friday that he was in contact with Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue, and urged him to protect producers from retaliation, saying, “Farmers must know the Admin has their back & I urge them to act swiftly.”
His tweets drew sharp criticism from North Dakota Democrats who accused him of abandoning the state’s farmers in favor of supporting Trump.
“There’s only one word for the kind of politician who would do such a thing: coward,” said Scott McNeil, the executive director of the North Dakota Democratic-Nonpartisan League Party.
Heitkamp stressed that she has consistently been concerned about the effects of tariffs on farmers in her state. She wrote in a letter to Trump that the escalation over trade was “extremely worrisome,” and urged him to “engage with China in a constructive manner.”
In Missouri, the Senate contenders have also traded barbs over the tariffs, with Republicans and Democrats casting each other as out of touch with the ShowMe State.
Republican Attorney General Josh Hawley backed the president, breaking with the state’s GOP senator, Roy Blunt, who told reporters in Missouri, “I don’t think we’re headed to the right place on trade policy.”