An auto repair and machine shop owner, freshman U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania, has found kinship with Washington’s farmers.
“I just like those people,” she said.
For the past year and half, the lawmaker has crisscrossed the Third Congressional District for farm tours and listening sessions, and has acted as a sounding board for the concerns of family farmers in Southwest Washington.
It’s an effort appreciated by the Washington State Farm Bureau, who officially endorsed Gluesenkamp Perez’s bid for reelection.
According to the Gluesenakamp Perez campaign, the lawmaker is the only federal-level Democratic candidate to receive the Farm Bureau’s endorsement in the 2024 election cycle.
“We feel that she is fighting for small businesses,” Maureen Harkcom, president of the Lewis County Farm Bureau, said in an interview with The Chronicle. “We feel that she is fighting for agriculture.”
In addition to her role with the Farm Bureau, Harkcom is a columnist for The Chronicle focused on agricultural issues.
A member of the House Agriculture Committee, Gluesenkamp Perez said she has sought to bring the perspective of Southwest Washington to the nation’s capital during her brief time in office.
“It feels really good to be on the team with producers in our state,” Gluesenkamp Perez said in an interview with The Chronicle. “I’m really thankful.”
According to Harkcom, Gluesenkamp Perez has brought a personal touch to politics. The representative has frequently visited farms throughout Southwest Washington and is known to call farm owners to gauge their opinions on legislation.
Those calls haven’t always been easy, said Gluesenkamp Perez, who said family farmers have voiced their frustrations with juggling paperwork and farm upkeep with debts and other life responsibilities.
One farmer, she said, approached her on the “verge of tears.” A fifth-generation farmer, the owner wondered if he would be able to pass the business on to the next generation.
As small, family-owned farms close or consolidate, Gluesenkamp Perez said the impact ripples through the community, with families moving out of the area and small towns struggling to maintain basic services.
“Farm consolidation means school consolidation,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
While in office, Gluesenkamp Perez has championed a series of pro-agriculture legislation, including the Fair Repair Act, which would require equipment manufacturers to make diagnostic and repair information, parts and tools available. According to Gluesenkamp Perez, the proposal could reduce household spending on electronics by 22% and result in roughly $40 billion in savings per year nationwide.
In late January, Gluesenkamp Perez was among a trio of Washington Lawmakers who proposed replicating a Washington program that incentivizes voluntary conservation on farms of all sizes. If passed, the Partnerships for Agricultural Climate Action Act of 2024 would replicate Washington’s Sustainable Farms and Fields program.
During a committee hearing in May, Gluesenkamp Perez highlighted a guest commentary published in The Chronicle written by Maynard Mallonee, an organic dairy farmer in Curtis who manages 225 acres and about 60 cows.
For Harkcom, who was personally invited by Gluesenkamp Perez to attend the White House Christmas Ball, the lawmaker has gone “above any expectations.”
“She tries to work for her constituents,” Harkcom said. “She reaches out to her constituents to get their opinions, and she listens to us.”
But the work isn’t easy.
According to Gluesenkamp Perez, the Agriculture Committee is dominated by members who represent commodity growers. With small, family-owned farms dotting the Southwest Washington landscape, Gluesenkamp Perez said the area is a “unique place,” which can create challenges as she tries to convince her seatmates to see things differently.
“Our interests are just in the back of the pantry — it feels like it,” Gluesenkamp Perez said.
Navigating the bureaucracy in Washington, D.C., is also difficult, the lawmaker said, adding that officials can be blinded by numbers and data, rather than seeing the real-world impact on small, family-owned farms.
While talking to federal officials, Gluesenkamp Perez said she has sought to bring a “human perspective.”
Gluesenkamp Perez received the endorsement over two registered Republicans who will appear on the August primary ballot — Camas City Councilor Leslie Lewallen and 2022 congressional candidate Joe Kent.
While the endorsement required the support of two-thirds of the district’s county farm bureaus, Harkcom said the decision was easy.
“I don’t think there was any hesitation,” Harkcom said. “Everybody on the board was pleased to recommend her for an endorsement because we really feel like she’s fighting for us.”
When identifying potential endorsements, Harkcom said the Farm Bureau considered a candidate’s record and how active they’ve been in supporting the agricultural community.
“Marie has been very involved with us,” Harkcom said. “I have just found her very down to earth.”
