April 9, 2026
Who’s Really Behind WinAg’s Attacks?
Following the Money Trail From “Local Ag” Branding to Big‑Agribusiness Power Plays
By: Idaho Dist. 24 State Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld
You’ve probably seen or heard negative ads in my Senate race. They say “Paid for by WinAg PAC.” But when you look at WinAg’s own campaign‑finance reports, they show no current spending in this election.
That doesn’t add up.
Once again, both of these bills are enhancements—no defunding occurs here. Click on each bill and read them for yourselves. Remember, Table 1 shows the enhancements, and Table 2 shows the maintenance along with the total including enhancements. SB1409, SB1197
What The Reports Show
- WinAg PAC is registered as a political committee in Idaho.
- Their latest public report shows money raised in past cycles, but no current activity listed for the 2026 primary.
In plain English: they are active in our race.
Why That’s A Problem
Idaho’s campaign‑finance laws are supposed to give voters the truth about who is spending money to influence your vote. When a PAC is running attack ads but its reports show “no spending,” one of two things is happening:
- They are using reporting gaps or technicalities to hide the timing and source of their spending; or
What WinAg Won’t Tell You
WinAg PAC doesn’t farm here. They don’t live here. They’re part of a political machine that pools money and then drops into local races to pick winners and losers.
They don’t put their name on the ballot.
They don’t come to your fields, your shops, or your kitchen tables.
But they do try to pick your senator for you.
If their cause is so noble, why don’t their public reports match what you see in your mailbox?
WinAg Biggest Donor
One more important detail about who is really behind WinAg: in 2024, its largest reported donor was the Far West Agribusiness Association, a Weiser‑based regional trade group for fertilizer, agrichemical, and big‑agribusiness interests across Idaho, Washington, Oregon, Nevada, and Utah. FWAA is not a local family‑farm co‑op; it is a 501(c)(6) business league whose mission is to “enhance the business and safety environment for the fertilizer and agrichemical industry” across five states, representing more than a hundred corporate members in inputs, crop protection, and distribution. Its board includes executives from Bayer Crop Science, J.R. Simplot, Nutrien, CHS, Helena, Valley Agronomics, and other large players, and it works closely with national industry groups like The Fertilizer Institute and CropLife America to fight pesticide restrictions and other regulations that affect their bottom line. In other words, WinAg’s money is coming from a professional lobbying arm for large agribusiness and chemical companies whose priority is protecting their business model across the region—not from the small irrigator or the family operation trying to hold on to ground in Jerome and Twin Falls.
The People’s Senator
When you work for the people, you’re going to catch flak from corporations and from government insiders who are comfortable with the status quo. We should never be afraid to question and expose both government and the powerful interests behind it, and we should always ask who stands to gain the most from the policies being pushed on us. In this race, I’m choosing to stand with the voters, not with the PACs and corporate lobbies that would rather you didn’t look too closely at where their money comes from—or what they’re buying with it.
