Bill Northey

Bill Northey
Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
Assumed office
March 6, 2018
President Donald Trump
Preceded by Michael Scuse
Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa
In office
January 2, 2007 – March 5, 2018
Governor Chet Culver
Terry Branstad
Kim Reynolds
Preceded by Patty Judge
Succeeded by Mike Naig
Personal details
Born William Howard Northey
(1959-05-27) May 27, 1959
Spirit Lake, Iowa, U.S.
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Cindy Northey
Children 3
Education Iowa State University (BS)
Southwest Minnesota State University (MBA)

William Howard Northey (born May 27, 1959)[1] is an American politician serving as the Under Secretary for Farm Production and Conservation in the United States Department of Agriculture since 2018. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa, first elected on November 7, 2006 and sworn in on January 2, 2007. In that position he led he led the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. Northey was nominated to the Under Secretary position by President Donald Trump in September 2017. After a hold by Senator Ted Cruz was lifted on February 27, 2018, Northey was confirmed by the Senate.[2]

Education and family

He graduated from Iowa State University with an undergraduate degree in agricultural business in 1981 and was a member of the FarmHouse Fraternity, serving as its president during his senior year. Northey received a Master in Business Administration degree from Southwest Minnesota State University in 2004.[3]

Northey and his wife, Cindy, have three daughters.

Career in agriculture

Northey has been active in agriculture groups at the county, state, and national levels. From 1995 to 1996, Northey served as president of the National Corn Growers Association and was chairman of the group in 1996 and 1997.[4] He also has led a number of committees for the Corn Growers. Northey was named a "Friend of Agriculture" by the Iowa Farm Bureau Political Action Committee in 2006 and has served in a number of Farm Bureau offices at the county and state level, including serving as president, vice president, and committee chairman of the Dickinson County Farm Bureau.[5]

Northey has also served on the Iowa USDA Farm Service Agency State Committee, was a Dickinson County Soil and Water Conservation District Commissioner, and was a board member of Ag Ventures Alliance.

Northey was co-founder and president of Innovative Growers, LLC, which is an organization hatched from ISU Extension Leadership. Innovative Growers is a farmer-owned and farmer-managed group designed to capitalize on demand for the production of specialty grain products. On his farm, Northey employs the farming practices of reduced tillage, GPS, grid soil sampling and identity preserved production. He raises crops of corn and soybeans.[4]

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture

Northey ran for Secretary of Agriculture on a platform of expanding opportunities in renewable energy, promoting conservation and stewardship, and telling the story of Iowa agriculture. He ran against Democrat Denise O'Brien. He won the election 50% to 48%.[6] In 2010, he was reelected by a margin of 60% to 35% against Democrat Francis Thicke.

Electoral history

Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Republican primary election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Northey 32,911 46.75
Republican Mark Leonard 28,315 40.22
Republican Karey Claghorn 9,089 12.91
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture election, 2006
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Northey 523,539 50.23
Democratic Denise O'Brien 495,873 47.57
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture election, 2010
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Northey (incumbent) 674,572 59.52
Democratic Francis Thicke 398,428 35.15
Write-ins Write-ins 849 0.07
Iowa Secretary of Agriculture election, 2014
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Bill Northey (incumbent) 675,781 59.17
Democratic Sherrie Taha 370,209 32.41
New Independent Levi Benning 39,349 3.45
Write-ins Write-ins 891 0.08

References

  1. ↑ "Our Campaigns – Candidate – William "Bill" Northey". www.ourcampaigns.com. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  2. ↑ Ta, Linh (September 2, 2017). "Trump nominates Bill Northey for key USDA position". Des Moines Register. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  3. ↑ "Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey Tapped for USDA Spot". U.S. News & World Report. Associated Press. September 2, 2017. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  4. 1 2 Patane, Matthew (September 2, 2017). "Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey officially nominated to join USDA". The Gazette. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  5. ↑ "Meet the Candidate, Secretary of Agriculture: Bill Northey". Citizen Times. October 28, 2014. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Iowa 2006 Midterm Election". www.thegreenpapers.com. Retrieved September 22, 2017.
Political offices
Preceded by
Patty Judge		 Secretary of Agriculture of Iowa
2007–2018		 Succeeded by
Mike Naig
Preceded by
Michael Scuse		 Under Secretary of Agriculture for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services
2018–present		 Incumbent
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