From WATTAgNet:
A former House Agriculture Committee member who was removed from the committee and later defeated in a congressional re-election attempt says he is being considered for the agriculture secretary position with the Donald Trump administration.
Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas, said he had sent his resume to Trump’s transition team, which got back in contact with him concerning an agriculture secretary’s position.
Huelskamp comes from a farming family and earned a doctorate degree in agriculture policy from American University in Washington in 1995. He was elected to his first term with the U.S. House of Representatives in 2010, and was soon appointed to the House Agriculture Committee, an assignment that was also given to his predecessor, Jerry Moran, and before Moran, Pat Roberts. Roberts and Moran are now both members of the U.S. Senate, with Roberts serving as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.
However, Huelskamp, known for his adversarial relationship with then House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was removed from the agriculture committee in 2012.
Huelskamp’s removal from the committee caused him to lose support from agriculture groups when he ran for re-election in 2014. He narrowly survived a primary challenge from Alan LaPolice that year, but had an easier time in the general election. Two years later, Huelskamp was defeated in a primary by a challenge from Roger Marshall, who also had the endorsement from several key agriculture groups. Both LaPolice and Marshall were political newcomers.
Glickman also became ag secretary after election loss
Should Huelskamp become Trump’s appointee, it would make it the second time a defeated member of Congress from Kansas would be named U.S. Agriculture secretary. Dan Glickman, D-Kansas, was defeated in 1994 by Republican Todd Tiahrt. Shortly afterward, Glickman was appointed by President Bill Clinton to succeed Mike Espy as agriculture secretary. Glickman served in that role for the remainder of the Clinton presidency.
Other agriculture secretary possibilities
Other people identified as possible candidates for agriculture secretary include Chuck Conner, president and CEO of the National Council of Farmer Cooperatives; former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue; Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller; and Nebraska cattle rancher Charles Herbster.
Outgoing Rep. Tim Huelskamp says he's being considered for Trump's agriculture secretary
Republican Tim Huelskamp addresses the crowd at a watch party in Dodge City, Kan. after winning an election for Congress on Nov. 2, 2010. (AP Photo/Jeff Tuttle) U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp says he has been approached by President-elect Donald Trump's transition team about becoming secretary of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Read More at Topeka Capital-Journal
Huelskamp being considered for agriculture secretary
WASHINGTON (AP) – Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp says someone “close to the transition” of President-elect Donald Trump has contacted him about becoming agriculture secretary. Huelskamp lost the GOP primary in his agriculture-heavy Kansas district this year after he was booted from the House Agriculture Committee amid fights with Republican leadership.
