Economy, Jobs and Trade

Trade agreements

55 public statements from 2026 candidates

§1The range of views

Why this matters: Trade deals shape which goods are cheaper to buy or easier to sell abroad, which matters to farmers, factory workers and businesses that export.

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.

Deals with other countries that lower tariffs or set rules for trade, such as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement.1

  1. Sign new deals that lower trade barriers
  2. Keep existing deals, such as the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement, largely as they are
  3. Renegotiate existing deals, for example to require that more of each product be made in the US
  4. Leave existing deals and set terms country by country, including tariffs

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.

Sign new deals that lower trade barriers (6)

  • Sam Liccardo CA-16
    His campaign website says that as mayor he lobbied House members to support the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an agreement to reduce tariffs and other trade barriers with Pacific Rim nations.2
  • Jim Costa CA-21
    His campaign website says he worked to negotiate trade deals such as the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement and pressed for a deal with India that removed retaliatory tariffs on crops such as almonds and walnuts, and an older results page still on the site says he supported free trade agreements with South Korea, Colombia and Panama.3,4
  • Carlos A. Gimenez FL-28
    His official House website says he supports new trade partnerships around the world to expand markets for American producers, as long as the agreements are free and fair, and supports taking measures against anti-competitive behavior in global trade.5
  • Austin Scott GA-8
    His official House website says he supports free and fair trade, that opening international markets will benefit the economy, and that he will only support agreements that ensure American industry and workers compete on a fair playing field.6
  • Joe Hathaway NJ-11
    His campaign platform says he supports enforcing existing trade agreements and negotiating new ones to open markets for New Jersey products, while avoiding retaliation that raises prices on essentials.7
  • Ted Brown TX Senate
    His campaign website says he supports trade agreements between two or more countries that reduce trade barriers.8

Renegotiate existing deals, for example to require that more of each product be made in the US (2)

  • Debbie Dingell MI-6
    Her campaign website says her work to rebuild American manufacturing and protect workers includes renegotiating the USMCA.9
  • Ilhan Omar MN-5
    It says she wants to renegotiate free trade agreements such as NAFTA and CAFTA, and to withhold support for new or updated agreements unless they protect American jobs, uphold workers' rights abroad and help lower prescription drug prices.10

Leave existing deals and set terms country by country, including tariffs (1)

  • Nancy Wallace MD-8
    Her campaign website says the United States should withdraw from NAFTA, CAFTA, the Trans-Pacific Partnership and other trade treaties that it says override U.S. laws protecting workers.11

Statements that don't match one option (46)

  • Amanda N. Pusczek AL-4
    Her campaign website says future trade agreements should include enforceable labor and environmental standards to keep jobs from moving overseas.12
  • Steve G. Parsons AR-1
    His campaign website says the US-Mexico-Canada Agreement added regulations that raised car prices, and describes protectionism, through trade deals or tariffs, as a cause of inflation and job losses.13
  • Josh Harder CA-9
    His campaign website says he is fighting for trade deals that put the Valley's products and workers first so they are not taken advantage of by foreign competitors.14
  • Scott Wiener CA-11
    His campaign website says he would negotiate trade agreements with enforceable labor and environmental standards and work through multilateral trade frameworks.15
  • Angélica María Dueñas CA-29
    Her campaign website says she would renegotiate or withdraw from trade agreements such as NAFTA to remove rules that let investors sue to overturn health, safety and environmental protections.16
  • Rosa L. DeLauro CT-3
    Her campaign website says she opposes trade deals that send jobs overseas and weaken labor and environmental protections.17
  • Darren Soto FL-9
    A 2018 Spanish-language page still on his campaign website says NAFTA did not work and that he opposed the Trans-Pacific Partnership.18
  • James "Jim" Kingston GA-1
    His campaign website says he will fight for trade deals that put American workers, farmers and manufacturers first rather than what it calls lopsided agreements, and supports fair, reciprocal trade.19
  • Henry "Hank" Johnson, Jr. GA-4
    His campaign website says he has called for quality control and safety assurance mechanisms in any trade agreements.20
  • Michael Bridgford IA-1
    His campaign website says he will push for transparent, rules-based trade agreements that give Iowa farmers and small businesses long-term certainty.21
  • Chris McGowan IA-4
    His campaign website says standing up for agriculture means supporting President Trump's efforts to secure free and fair-trade agreements for the goods Iowa farmers produce.22
  • Delia Ramirez IL-3
    Her campaign website says she advocates for trade deals that center equity for American workers and the global poor.23
  • Angel Oakley IL-3
    Her policy page says she will fight to promote fair trade that protects American workers.24
  • Mike Quigley IL-5
    His campaign website says he has demanded that all modern trade agreements include strong, enforceable labor and human rights provisions.25
  • Bill Foster IL-11
    His campaign website says poorly conceived and badly executed trade agreements should be stopped, and that the Trump proposal to upgrade NAFTA would do little to enforce fair labor standards in Mexico and would increase prescription drug prices.26
  • Mike Bost IL-12
    His campaign website says he supports President Trump's trade deals to protect the economy and American workers.27
  • Darin LaHood IL-16
    His campaign website says he is working to open new markets and bring certainty to trade agreements.28
  • Tracey Mann KS-1
    His campaign website says free and fair trade is crucial for increasing demand for Kansas livestock and crops and that he intends to be a champion for free trade, and it credits President Trump's efforts to improve trade deals with helping ensure a strong America.29,30
  • Eric Jenkins KS-3
    His campaign website says he would fight for fair trade deals that protect Kansas agriculture and manufacturing.31
  • Ron Estes KS-4
    His campaign website says he will support free and fair trade so Kansas farmers can continue to feed the world, and that he helped lead efforts to secure the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement.32,33
  • Steve Scalise LA-1
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments that, as House Republican Whip, he shepherded the USMCA trade deal to passage, which it calls a major boost to the American economy.34
  • "Clay" Higgins LA-3
    His campaign website's 2016 Issues page, which refers to the proposed Trans-Pacific Partnership, says each trade deal should be judged on putting America first, that he is against that agreement and against NAFTA, and that massive, complex trade deals tread on national sovereignty.35
  • "Mike" Johnson LA-4
    His official House website's Free Markets page says free markets and free trade agreements allow for innovation, improvement and economic expansion.36
  • Rasheed Nicholas Walters MA-8
    His campaign website says he will vote against every free trade deal that comes before Congress and supports reciprocal fair trade agreements instead.37
  • Jack Bergman MI-1
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments that he advocated for the USMCA.38
  • Christian Vukasovich MI-5
    His campaign website says he supports strengthening Buy America requirements, investing in American manufacturing and supply chains, and pursuing fair trade policies that keep good jobs in Michigan.39
  • Tim Walberg MI-5
    His campaign website says he works with members of both parties to open world markets to goods made in Michigan, favors trade that is both fair and free, and will oppose any agreement that is not fair and free for the state's workers and manufacturers.40
  • Heather Smiley MI-6
    Her campaign website says she supports protecting and increasing global trade relations while ensuring bidirectional fairness, and ensuring reciprocal trade practices.41,42
  • Ray Pooley MI-9
    His campaign website says he will push for trade agreements that protect workers rather than send more jobs abroad.43
  • Lisa McClain MI-9
    Her campaign website says she will support free and fair international trade policies and keep pushing for trade agreements that benefit farmers.44
  • Chris Dardzinski MI-13
    His campaign website says the World Trade Organization has become a tool China uses to abuse trade rules and that he would do away with it.45
  • Tyler Bass MN-3
    In his answers to a WCCO candidate questionnaire posted on his campaign website, he says he supports the USMCA but that trade agreements succeed only when wages keep pace.46
  • Alani Bankhead MT Senate
    Her campaign website says trade deals should include strong, enforceable protections for workers and the environment.47
  • Seth Bodnar MT Senate
    His campaign website says he favors durable, enforceable trade agreements over open-ended tariff uncertainty.48
  • Sam Forstag MT-1
    His campaign website says he would require that union representatives have input equal to other stakeholders when the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative negotiates a deal, and would make sure labor and environmental rules in trade deals are enforced.49
  • Addison McDowell NC-6
    His campaign website says communities have been hurt by the free-trade agenda of earlier presidents of both parties, and that he supports President Trump's America First Agenda to protect and promote American jobs.50
  • Adrian Smith NE-3
    His campaign website calls expanded fair trade vital for Nebraska's farmers, ranchers and manufacturers, and says that as chair of the Trade Subcommittee he works to open more markets to Nebraska farmers and ranchers.51,52
  • Macey Budke NE-3
    Her campaign website says her agricultural policies would aim for fair, competitive markets and a wider range of responsible trade opportunities for producers.53
  • Mark Cohen NE-3
    His campaign website says he supports broader trade deals that open overseas markets to Nebraska corn, soybeans, beef and pork, and that he will review each agreement for its effect on Nebraska agriculture.54
  • Adam Hamawy NJ-12
    His campaign website says international trade agreements must include labor and environmental protections.55
  • Winston Jordan NJ-12
    His policy platform website lists trade agreements with high labor and climate standards and opposition to investor-state dispute settlement provisions.56
  • Gregory G Cunningham NM-2
    His New Mexico Farmers First plan calls for new export markets with allied countries and for trade policy that keeps New Mexico growers from being undercut by foreign products that compete on unequal terms.57
  • Gabriel Vasquez NM-2
    His campaign website lists among his accomplishments opposing members of both parties to protect New Mexico ranchers and stop foreign beef imports that it says would seriously harm the American ranching economy.58
  • Sherrod Brown OH Senate special
    His campaign website says he has always opposed trade deals that it says sent Ohio jobs overseas and hurt Ohio workers.59
  • Chris Henry OR Senate
    His platform calls for reviewing the effects of NAFTA and USMCA and requiring enforceable labor and environmental standards in future trade deals, and his voters' pamphlet statement opposes tariffs and free-trade deals that it says let corporations override those protections.60,61
  • James Talarico TX Senate
    His campaign website says he supports trade agreements with strong protections for American workers.62,63