Agriculture and Rural Life

Foreign ownership of farmland

48 public statements from 2026 candidates · 2 related bills

§1The range of views

Why this matters: It involves national security and the food supply, the price of farmland, and the property rights of foreign buyers, including some immigrants who live in the US.

Drafted by AI, then checked for neutral wording in a separate AI review. It describes the question and the main positions, not any candidate's view. Facts link to their sources.

Whether to limit or ban purchases of US farmland by foreign buyers, especially people and companies tied to China and other countries the US government considers adversaries.

  1. Ban farmland purchases by all foreign buyers
  2. Ban purchases by buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea
  3. Require more reporting and national security reviews of purchases, but no outright bans
  4. Keep current reporting rules, with no new limits on foreign buyers

These options describe policies, not people. The order is not a ranking.

§2What candidates have said

Why this matters: Statements candidates made publicly, summarized in plain words with a link to where they said it. Candidates who haven't spoken publicly on this issue aren't listed.

Drafted by AI from the public sources cited. Each sentence links to its source.

Ban farmland purchases by all foreign buyers (5)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says she would permanently ban foreign state-owned companies, investment trusts and nonresident foreign nationals from buying or leasing farmland, timberland or water rights, and would require existing foreign holdings to be sold.1
  • Jeff Frese CA-10
    His campaign website says foreign ownership of American farmland and family homes should be blocked.2
  • Dwayne L. Romero CO-3
    His campaign website says foreign entities should be kept out of Colorado water and farmland ownership.3
  • Clifton Brown CO-3
    His campaign website says land ownership should be limited to U.S. citizens, with no ownership by corporations, land trusts or foreigners.4
  • "Mike" Nichols LA-4
    His campaign flyer lists being 100% opposed to foreign investors owning American farmland among its platform points.5

Ban purchases by buyers tied to China, Russia, Iran or North Korea (16)

  • Lauren Boebert CO-4
    Her campaign website says that as a Farm Bill conferee she is pushing for a ban on Chinese Communist Party ownership of American farmland.6
  • Christopher Mitchell CO-5
    His campaign website says he would introduce legislation to end purchases of U.S. land and real estate by China.7
  • Victor Marx CO Governor
    His campaign website says he would work to bar foreign adversaries such as China, Russia and Iran from buying or leasing farmland, water rights, critical infrastructure or property near military bases.8
  • Anna Paulina Luna FL-13
    Her campaign website says she co-sponsored a bill to bar China, Russia, Iran and North Korea from buying U.S. agricultural land or agricultural companies.9
  • Matt Day GA-2
    His campaign website’s Joseph Farm Plan says it would prohibit foreign adversaries from buying U.S. farmland, food processing plants or water rights.10
  • Michael Bridgford IA-1
    His campaign website says he will co-sponsor federal legislation banning foreign adversaries, including state-backed corporations from China and Russia, from buying American agricultural land.11
  • Zach Lahn IA Governor
    His campaign website says he would end illegal foreign ownership of Iowa farmland and tighten and enforce laws to stop hedge funds and foreign adversaries from buying Iowa farms and homes.12,13
  • Mary E. Miller IL-15
    Her campaign website says she sponsored legislation to stop China from buying U.S. farmland.14
  • Julia Letlow LA Senate
    Her campaign website says she would ban Chinese ownership of American farmland.15
  • Jack Bergman MI-1
    His campaign website says he has supported legislation that would stop buyers linked to the Chinese government from acquiring farmland in the United States.16
  • John Moolenaar MI-2
    His campaign website says he has led efforts to keep the Chinese Communist Party from purchasing American farmland, and it lists preventing adversaries from buying farmland among the work of the House Select Committee on China, which he chairs.17,18,19
  • Michelle Fischbach MN-7
    The record page lists co-sponsoring a bill that would bar Chinese purchases of American farmland.20
  • Missi Hesketh MO-7
    Her Farmers and Natural Resources page says she would ban adversarial foreign governments, including China, from buying American farmland, and create a beneficial ownership registry so shell companies cannot hide foreign ownership.21
  • Kevin Hern OK Senate
    His campaign website says he cosponsored a bill to stop individuals and companies tied to the Chinese Communist Party from buying American farmland and homes.22
  • Marsha Blackburn TN Governor
    Her campaign website says Tennessee should enact a complete ban on China owning any type of land in the state.23
  • Tom Tiffany WI Governor
    His campaign website says he would ban foreign adversaries, including China, from buying Wisconsin farmland and homes.24

Statements that don't match one option (27)

  • Eric Jones CA-4
    His campaign website says he would work to limit corporate and foreign purchases of farmland and give local farmers the first chance to buy land that comes up for sale.25
  • Peter Sundin Soulé CA-16
    His campaign website says he would restrict China from buying American farmland near military bases.26
  • Eileen Laubacher CO-4
    Her campaign website says she would keep foreign entities out of owning Colorado water and land.27
  • Tim Bennett CO-7
    His campaign website says purchases of large agricultural areas, water resources, key infrastructure and land near military installations by governments or actors from nations that do not share American values should be restricted or limited.28
  • Greg Steube FL-17
    His campaign website says he wrote a Farm Bill amendment limiting purchases of American farmland by foreign adversaries.29
  • James "Jim" Kingston GA-1
    His campaign website says confronting threats like Iran, Russia and China includes stopping the buying up of U.S. farmland.30
  • Houston Gaines GA-10
    His campaign website says the Chinese Communist Party is trying to take over American farmland and that the country cannot let it.31
  • Brenton Awa HI-2
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments passing a bill (SB242) through the Hawaii Senate to ban foreign ownership of agricultural land in Hawaii.32
  • Ashley Hinson IA Senate
    Her campaign's affordability plan calls for protecting Iowa farmland from China and other foreign adversaries.33
  • Tripp Charles Hutchinson ID-2
    His platform page lists banning foreign governments from buying American farmland among his commitments.34
  • Kelly Thompson IN-3
    Her campaign website says her plan would prohibit additional purchases of American farmland by foreign governments and sharply restrict purchases by corporations, investment funds and nonprofit foundations whose primary business is not agriculture.35
  • Larry Davis III LA-6
    His campaign website's Policies page lists protecting land from foreign ownership among his agriculture and rural goals.36
  • Heather Smiley MI-6
    Her campaign website says she supports restricting foreign ownership of land.37,38
  • Lisa McClain MI-9
    Her campaign website says she is committed to defending family-owned farms and land from foreign nations seeking influence.39
  • John James MI Governor
    His campaign website says he voted in Congress to ban foreign governments such as China from buying American farmland.40
  • Bethany E Mann MO-3
    Her campaign website says purchases of Missouri land by foreign companies must be re-evaluated.41
  • Jordan Herrera MO-4
    His campaign website lists restrictions on foreign and corporate speculation in farmland among its farmland protection proposals.42
  • Michael D Eisenhauer MT-2
    His Voter Contract page says he will protect Montana agricultural land from inappropriate foreign ownership, and his Issues page says sales of agricultural land and assets to foreign entities must be curtailed, with stronger enforcement and higher penalties added to the American Foreign Investment Disclosure Act.43,44
  • Pete Ricketts NE Senate
    His campaign website says he introduced bipartisan legislation to strengthen the country's ability to stop foreign adversaries, including the Chinese Communist Party, from owning farmland.45
  • Dan Osborn NE Senate
    His campaign website says countries such as China and Brazil should be banned from buying Nebraska farmland.46
  • Mike Flood NE-1
    His campaign website says he worked to stop the Chinese Communist Party from buying American farmland.47
  • Mark Cohen NE-3
    His campaign website lists supporting federal restrictions on purchases of American farmland and critical infrastructure by foreign adversaries.48
  • Ramon Mora Jr. NJ-2
    The Issues page's Consumer Protection Agenda list includes a ban on purchases of farmland, or land containing extractable resources, by foreign nations.49
  • Mike Mazzei OK Governor
    His campaign website says he would prohibit foreign governments and foreign-controlled companies from owning Oklahoma land and require disclosure of who ultimately owns large land purchases.50,51
  • Robert E Brooks Sr OK Governor
    His land plan calls for enforcing Oklahoma's existing limits on foreign land ownership, closing loopholes that let restricted owners use shell companies, and more disclosure of who owns large land holdings.52
  • Larry Rhoden SD Governor
    His campaign website says he helped ban Chinese purchases of American agricultural land.53
  • David Hatley TN Governor
    His campaign website says buyers of farmland and land near military bases and infrastructure should disclose who actually controls them, and that Tennessee's limits on adversarial foreign ownership should also cover long-term leases.54

§3Related bills

Why this matters: Bills from 2023–2026 that bear on this issue, with how Congress handled them.