Today, Denise O’Brien, the 2006 Democratic nominee for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture, announced her support for former Sen. John Edwards during a community meeting in Atlantic.
“Sen. Edwards comes from rural America and obviously hasn’t forgotten where he came from,” O’Brien said in a prepared statement. “I am endorsing him because of his strong support for family farmers and his willingness to take on corporate agribusiness. He has outlined a bold plan to reinvest in rural towns and communities, bring in new jobs and ensure that hard-working family farmers can earn a decent living.”
O’Brien is an organic farmer and well-known progressive political activist. She is the co-founder and coordinator of the Women, Food and Agriculture Network. A past-president of the National Family Farm Coalition, she has advocated for the concerns of farm families and rural communities on international, national, state and local levels. Her efforts have aided in the establishment of many organizations, including Rural Advocacy 2000, Iowa Fair Trade Watch, the Women’s Task Force of the Iowa Farm Unity Coalition and Progressive Prairie Alliance. She is a member of the Iowa Women’s Hall of Fame.
“Denise is a strong advocate for the needs of Iowa family farmers and rural communities, and I am honored to have her support,” Edwards said. “She shares my commitment to revitalizing rural America and will be a great asset to our campaign.”
