Holding Them Accountable

Mike Naig

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture · Republican · On the 2026 ballot vs. Democrat Chris Jones

Iowa has a water crisis — and the official most responsible for farm policy is on the ballot in 2026. Here is Mike Naig's record, with a source on every line.

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Iowa's Water Crisis

Touts “Tremendous Progress.” Iowa's Cancer Rate Says Otherwise.

Iowa's rivers and tap water are among the most nitrate-polluted in the country. Yet Ag Secretary Mike Naig defends that voluntary, no-mandate approach in his own words: “We have made tremendous progress working with farmers and landowners … but there's no finish line when it comes to conservation.”[2] Investigative reporting by FERN characterized his upbeat framing as “a claim that isn't backed by data collected from waterways” — the reporters' assessment, not his.[1]

Follow the Money

From Monsanto to Overseeing Iowa Agriculture

Before he was in charge of Iowa agriculture, Naig worked in Iowa for Monsanto — the maker of the weedkiller Roundup, now owned by Bayer.[1]

Weakening Clean-Water Rules

Fought to Shrink Federal Clean-Water Protections

Naig formally urged the EPA and Army Corps for “regulatory relief,” backing a narrower “Waters of the United States” rule that pulls federal clean-water protections off more of Iowa's land and streams.[3]

The Stakes

Iowa's Cancer Rate Is Rising Faster Than Any State's

Iowa now has the nation's second-highest cancer rate, and is among the few states where cancer cases are still rising — according to the University of Iowa Cancer Registry.[5]

Here in the Quad Cities

Our Tap Water Comes Straight Out of the Mississippi

Nitrate runoff from Iowa farmland is rising, and the pace of change on the voluntary conservation practices meant to curb it is not keeping up — a gap Quad Cities public radio reported on in 2025.[6]

Treating the Symptom

Farm to Faucet: Iowans Pay to Filter What Farms Aren't Required to Prevent

In June 2026, Naig and Gov. Reynolds enacted a nearly $320 million, 12-year Farm to Faucet package, largely to help cities filter nitrate at the tap.[7] Critics, including a Gazette opinion, argue it treats the symptom — after a decade of the voluntary approach, Iowans now pay to clean up pollution the state won't require farms to prevent.[7]

The Choice in 2026

Iowans Have an Alternative: Chris Jones

Naig, a former Monsanto employee, defends Iowa's voluntary, no-mandate approach to farm pollution.[1] His 2026 opponent, Democrat Chris Jones, is a retired University of Iowa water-quality engineer who spent decades documenting Iowa's nitrate pollution — and wrote the book on it, The Swine Republic.[4] Jones retired from the university's IIHR research lab in 2023 and co-founded the Iowa Driftless Water Defenders in 2024.[4] Meet Chris Jones, the Democrat running to replace him.

Hold Him Accountable

Iowans Deserve Clean Water

Mike Naig is on the ballot in 2026. Iowans deserve an ag secretary who will clean up our water, not explain it away. Share his record, and get involved.

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Sources

Every Claim, Sourced

Each fact above links to a primary government record, the candidate's own words, or a neutral news report. Numbers correspond to the citations below.