Chris Jones

Chris Jones is a water quality advocate and former research engineer who retired in 2023 from the University of Iowa's IIHR (Institute of Hydraulic Research), where he specialized in water science. A Democrat who lives in northeast Iowa near Lansing, he has become one of the state's most prominent voices on agricultural pollution and clean water.

In 2024 Jones co-founded the nonprofit Iowa Driftless Water Defenders, and in 2025 he published a collection of essays examining agricultural pollution in Iowa. He launched his campaign for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture in January 2026, positioning himself as a candidate for the people, not just corporate agriculture.

Jones argues that elevated nitrate levels in Iowa's drinking water are unacceptable, pointing to communities such as Des Moines, Cedar Rapids, and Iowa City that struggle with contamination from row-crop and animal agriculture. His platform calls for a more diversified agricultural landscape, stronger regulation of polluters and concentrated animal feeding operations, expanded local food processing, and greater access to locally grown food.