Under then-President Joe Biden, climate researchers worked on the Fifth National Climate Assessment, which was scrubbed from government websites under the second Trump administration. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
O’Rourke is running in a crowded Democratic field in one of the state’s most competitive midterm districts, the 7th Congressional.
Overall affordability (and especially high housing and electricity costs), political division, and the government’s unpredictability are key themes in O’Rourke’s campaign. O’Rourke grew up in a food-insecure home, and she said the recent cuts to food assistance and health programs in the OBBB feel personal.
“I want to be somebody in Congress who actually knows and understands these programs, instead of silver-spoon politicians,” O’Rourke told Civil Eats.
In conversations with farmers and others in her community, O’Rourke said she’s also heard a lot of concern about the uncertainty surrounding the farm bill and USDA support systems.
In the agricultural research space, she said nearly every person she’s connected with during her campaign has had grants rescinded. This means labs or research offices are having to lay off staff or can’t afford to hire students, she said.
“The farm community, just like a lot of people, are sick of the uncertainty and divisiveness and want people in Congress to get to work.”
With the USDA’s upcoming reorganization, farmers are unsure whether they’ll have adequate access to experts to help them navigate programs and grant applications.
“The farm community, just like a lot of people, are sick of the uncertainty and divisiveness and want people in Congress to get to work and especially pass a farm bill,” O’Rourke said.
Her campaign also focuses on environmental safety issues, including water contamination and Superfund sites in her district. O’Rourke said the administration has cut back on science that is fundamental to addressing these problems, which has a direct impact on her community.
“That touches on . . . . what people care about in their day-to-day life: your house, your food, your family, and your health.”
Graham Platner, Senate (Maine)
Graham Platner, an oyster farmer and military veteran, is one of several candidates vying for the Democratic nomination to face off against Republican Sen. Susan Collins. Platner has raised $3.2 million in the first quarter since announcing his campaign, according to Axios. He also has the backing of progressives like Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) and is appealing to working-class Mainers, since he is one himself.
“I’m a working person in Maine who [was] living, until recently, a very very normal life that is impacted by the outcomes of policy,” Platner said recently on MSNBC. “I can see that in my community, I can see it in my own life.”
While Platner is running as a Democrat, he’s pushed back against the “liberal” label. Even while advocating for progressive policies like universal health care, instead of focusing on party affiliation, he’s emphasized representing everyday people.
“I’m a working person in Maine who [was] living, until recently, a very very normal life that is impacted by the outcomes of policy.”
“I find it highly amusing that having a problem with hospitals closing in Maine and trying to figure out how to use the vast wealth of this nation to keep that from happening, the fact that somebody thinks that’s some kind of lefty, progressive ideal seems absurd to me,” Platner said. “That mostly seems like I’m just trying to give a damn about my community.”
Platner faces a sea of other Democratic primary challengers, including Dan Kleban, founder of the Maine Beer Company. Both face an uphill battle if Maine Gov. Janet Mills also announces her bid.
Salaam Bhatti, House (Virginia)
Salaam Bhatti’s background in food policy dates to his childhood, when his family benefitted from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC). The experience pushed him to become a public-interest lawyer, which he later did at the Virginia Poverty Law Center. He also worked as Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) director for the Food Research and Action Center.
The passage of the OBBB, combined with rising healthcare, housing, and grocery costs were key drivers behind Bhatti’s decision to run. He’s one of several Democrats attempting to unseat GOP Rep. Rob Wittman. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee has listed his 1st Congressional District as one of the more viable to flip in 2026.
“People will die as a result of these cuts to their health care.”
Bhatti said Wittman caused harm in his community by backing the OBBB, which is expected to cut millions of eligible individuals from SNAP and Medicaid. Wittman has argued the bill will have a positive impact on Virginians by extending Trump administration tax cuts and through no tax on tips and no tax on overtime. Virginians could lose healthcare access or could see increases to their care costs, Bhatti said. Additionally, the bill could raise already high energy, housing, and grocery costs.
“People will die as a result of these cuts to their health care,” he said. “We really need to be mindful of how we can act quickly to make sure we can save as many folks as possible because of what these Republicans have done.”
