E15 Policy Meets State Politics as Iowa Governor Primary Unfolds

Iowa Congressman Randy Feenstra says the proposal would allow retailers to decide whether they want to offer E15 year-round.

DES MOINES, Iowa (RFD News) — Voters are heading to the polls today in six states, including Iowa, where U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-04) is seeking the Republican nomination for governor. Governor Kim Reynolds is not seeking re-election, making it Iowa’s first open primary in nearly two decades.

Feenstra, a member of the House Agriculture Committee, is one of five candidates competing in Iowa’s GOP primary. The race has drawn additional attention in recent days following President Trump’s endorsement of him.

Meanwhile, he continues advocating for year-round E15 sales after recently helping advance related legislation in the House.

“So for our farming community, for our producers, it’s so important,” Feenstra said. “I’ll also say this is that E15 is not a mandate. It’s just an opportunity that allows states to sell it year-round. It allows retailers to decide if they want to sell it in Iowa — 50% of our retailers currently sell it. This just creates an opportunity for the certainty that the retailers wanted to have, that they’re certain to sell at 12 months out of the year. That’s why, from all states, I believe that there’s going to be a great movement forward to selling this product and helping our producers and creating more domestic energy.”

If the federal measure to legalize year-round sales of E15 remains a standalone bill in the Senate — rather than being added back to the Senate’s version of the Farm Bill — it would require 60 votes before heading to President Trump’s desk.

Related Stories
U.S. Senator Roger Marshall of Kansas discusses expected changes to the 45Z tax credit and what they could mean for agriculture and rural America.
Stronger U.S.-Guatemala trade rules favor dependable, regionally integrated supply chains — rewarding execution and commitment over cost-only sourcing.
Securing Critical Water Resources for South Texas Agriculture
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller discusses the state’s latest efforts to prevent the New World screwworm from reaching Texas.
Economists are also closely watching how policy decisions in Washington could influence markets moving forward. Analysts say deferred futures for corn, soybeans, and wheat suggest markets are operating near break-even levels, not at prices that would encourage expanded production.
The biggest development of 2025 in agricultural law and taxation was the signing into law on July 4 of the Trump Administration’s landmark legislation, the “One Big Beautiful Bill” Act (OBBBA)

Knoxville native Neal Burnette-Irwin is a graduate from MTSU where he majored in Journalism and Entertainment Studies. He works as a digital content producer with RFD News and is represented by multiple talent agencies in Nashville and Chicago.


LATEST STORIES BY THIS AUTHOR:

Farm CPA Paul Neiffer says the implementation of the “One Big Beautiful Bill” brings several positive changes for producers.
National Pork Producers Council’s Doug Frickey discusses this year’s event and what attendees are seeing on the expo floor.
Golden Valley FFA’s growing turf management program introduces students to careers in sports field management.
AFBF economist Danny Munch joins us to break down the program’s eligibility requirements and payment structure.
Farm groups and equipment manufacturers say lower tariffs could help reduce machinery costs and support producers facing tight margins.
Declining cases prompt officials to ease nationwide poultry restrictions, though local measures remain available if needed.