Today, We Speak As A Group

Countdown to Victory: Today’s Our Day When you elect him today, Francis Thicke will redefine what the Iowa Secretary of Agriculture position should be. He has been leading an important conversation with you over the past year. You’ve called his vision bold, fresh and a clear choice over small twists – or no twists at [...]

Catch Up With Francis Before The Election

Countdown to Victory: 1 Day You have a few more chances to catch up with Francis Thicke, your candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, before the election Tuesday. He will cast his ballot early today at the Jefferson County Courthouse in Fairfield, then set out on a two-day campaign tour with stops in Ames, Des [...]

We Need You: This Is Our Moment

Countdown to Victory: 2 Days Iowa Secretary of Agriculture candidate Francis Thicke’s broad-based appeal make him the statewide candidate to watch Tuesday. His appeal is urban and rural, male and female. He polls well among Democrats, independents and some Republicans. “Mommy Bloggers” like his forward-looking policies that will create new markets for family farmers and [...]

A Positive Campaign

Countdown to Victory: 3 Days We’re experiencing positive momentum as the Francis Thicke for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture campaign enters the final hours. Francis can win this, and you can help by making get-out-the-vote phone calls (to help, sign up here), by contributing to the $18,000 we need for media buys and voter recruitment calls [...]

Some Of Iowa’s Most Influential Women Support Francis Thicke

Women, let’s talk. As a voting bloc, we have historically held enormous sway over election outcomes in Iowa. In Francis Thicke, we have a a chance to elect a Secretary of Agriculture – a position with arguably more long-term influence over the quality of our lives, be that positive or negative, than almost any other in state government – who will advocate for our common values.

Women across Iowa are enthusiastically supporting Francis Thicke’s campaign for many reasons. Among some, it’s policies promoting safe, local foods. For others, Francis and Susan Thicke’s practical, profitable farming methods that begin to rebuild Iowa’s vanishing ecological capital are a reminder that there’s still a place in Iowa’s agricultural economy for independent, environmentally responsive family farmers. Still others recognize the talent for leadership inherent in Thicke’s thoughtful, organized road map to sustainability that examines it from every aspect of food and agriculture production.

Why Thicke’s National Endorsements Matter

Iowans take seriously their important role in vetting presidential candidates every four years in the Iowa Caucuses, a celebration of grassroots democracy in action and retail politics at their best. Iowans are respected for their wisdom, and have a reputation for asking probing questions that shine insight on what candidates really believe. Candidates can’t phone it in here in Iowa.

Ag Secretary Can Drive Rural Revitalization

Countdown to Victory: 6 Days “No one wants to come here,” lamented a supporter of the Francis Thicke Secretary of Agriculture campaign who was happily surprised when our candidate did, indeed, travel to Shenandoah in the southwest corner of the state. Thicke was there to visit BioProcess Algae LLC, a Green Plains Renewable Energy venture [...]

You Heard It From Northey: Vote For Francis Thicke

If you tuned into Iowa Public Radio’s “The Exchange” earlier today, you heard incumbent Ag Secretary Bill Northey say that if you want to return local control over CAFO (concentrated animal feeding operations) to county governments, you should “engage in the political process to set up those rules.”

In other words, you should vote for Francis Thicke for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture.

Harkin: ‘Thicke One Of The Best Ag Secretary Candidates Ever’

Countdown to Victory: 8 Days U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin, one of the most powerful voices in American agriculture as the chairman of the Senate Ag Committee for many years, believes Iowa Secretary of Agriculture candidate Francis Thicke is “one of the best candidates we’ve ever had” to lead the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land [...]

Urban Votes Count In Ag Secretary Race

Countdown to Victory: 10 days Fewer than 2 percent of Iowans live on farms. But all of us, Iowa Secretary of Agriclture candidate Francis Thicke points out, eat food, drink water and want lakes, rivers and streams to be clean when we play in them. We all breathe air. Urban votes win elections. Still, we [...]