The Kansas Livestock Association’s political action committee has decided against endorsing Republican U.S. Sen. Roger Marshall in his bid to seek re-election this year, citing his decision to drop his support for legislation intended to protect Kansas pork producers.
KLA’s political action committee announced its federal and legislative endorsements earlier this week.
Absent from the list was Marshall, who had support from the livestock association when he first ran for the U.S. Senate in 2020 in a primary race that included current Attorney General Kris Kobach, retired football player Dave Lindstrom and plumber Bob Hamilton.
He also had the support of the KLA political action committee when he ran for Congress in 2016 and defeated Republican incumbent U.S. Rep. Tim Huelskamp.
“When the KLA PAC met, they chose not to recommend an endorsement in the U.S. Senate race,” said Matt Teagarden, the Kansas Livestock Association’s chief executive officer.
“KLA leaders are very concerned that Sen. Marshall directly negotiated with animal rights activists to drop his support of legislation to protect Kansas livestock producers from production practice mandates like those in California,” Teagarden said in a statement.
“Animal rights activists will not stop at mandating production practices. Their ultimate goal is to end animal agriculture,” he said.
Marshall’s office declined comment.
The KLA political action committee endorsed Republican Congressmen Tracey Mann, Derek Schmidt and Ron Estes. The federal endorsements – or lack thereof – apply to the primary and the general election.
The livestock association’s decision not to endorse in the U.S. Senate race comes at a time when 11 Democrats are lining up in their primary to challenge him this fall.
Marshall does face primary opposition from Pond Naramore, a little-known candidate from Lawrence.
The controversy centered on legislation that would have prevented California from banning the in-state sale of whole pork meat from pigs confined in a cruel manner even if they’re caged in another state.
The American Meat Producers Association, led by an established animal welfare lobbyist, had been running ads against Marshall in Kansas for supporting that legislation. The group called the legislation a “scam” that would benefit Chinese corporations.
The association pulled the negative ads and replaced them with a new ad praising Marshall after he withdrew his support for the so-called Save Our Bacon Act from being included in the 2026 Farm Bill.
Holly Bice, president of the meat producers’ group who has been an advocate for animal rights, didn’t comment when the ads were replaced but referred to remarks she made to the National Hog Farmer.
“Sen. Marshall did American family farmers right by removing support for this dangerous bill. He’s choosing family farmers over Chinese pork conglomerates, and we’re looking forward to his leadership to ensure no variation of Save Our Bacon is in any final farm bill,” Bice told the publication.
She was joined by Mike Schultz, founder of the Kansas Cattlemen’s Association and vice president of the Organization for Competitive Markets.
“We farmers in western Kansas are really proud of Senator Marshall for heeding our message that farmers have upgraded their sow housing systems and for protecting their access to California’s humane pork market,” Schultz told the National Hog Farmer.
Last year, Marshall sponsored legislation – along with Iowa U.S. Sens. Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst – in response to California’s Proposition 12 that prohibits any state or local government from interfering with commerce and agricultural practices in another state outside their jurisdiction.
“The United States is constantly faced with non-tariff trade barriers from protectionist countries, which hurts American agriculture’s access to new markets,” Marshall said in a press release last year.
“The last thing we need is for states like California imposing its will on ag-heavy states like Kansas with regulations that will also restrict our ability to trade among the states,”
“Midwest farmers and ranchers who produce our nation’s food supply should not be hamstrung by coastal activist agendas that dictate production standards from hundreds of miles away,” Marshall said in a statement in support of the legislation.
“I am proud to support this legislation that gives Kansas agriculture producers the freedom to produce safe, affordable food for all,” he said.
The bill has been referred to as the Save our Bacon bill, or the EATS Act, short for Ending Agricultural Trade Suppression. The bill is opposed by animal-welfare advocates.
The measure was opposed by Humane World for Animals, formerly known as the Humane Society of the United States.
The dispute over the Save our Bacon bill stemmed from California’s Proposition 12, which was adopted by voters in November 2018.
It barred the in-state sale of whole pork meat that comes from breeding pigs or their immediate offspring that were “confined in a cruel manner.”
The law defined “confined in a cruel manner” to include preventing a pig from “lying down, standing up, fully extending its limbs, or turning around freely.”
This law set minimum space requirements for egg-laying hens, breeding pigs and veal calves, and it prohibits the sale of products from animals raised in California or out-of-state that do not meet the standards.
A spokesperson said Marshall was now focused on getting Congress to approve year-round sales of ethanol when asked a couple weeks ago about why he changed positions.
“With all of the challenges facing farm country right now — Sen. Marshall is prioritizing year-round E15 and helping Chairman Boozman get a Farm Bill done,” said Marshall spokesperson Payton Fuller, alluding to U.S. Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas and chair of the Senate agriculture committee.
