Trump's 'gut punch' to farmers rattles GOP grip on red state governor's race: report

Cattle ranchers in one of the nation's reddest states are seething over a trade move by President Donald Trump, and Republicans are feeling the heat.

Oklahoma's open governor's race has turned unexpectedly competitive as anger builds over the president's decision to slash tariffs on South American beef, The Washington Post reported Saturday. Trump lowered import duties on Argentine beef in February and widened the break to Brazil and Paraguay in August, a move that sent auction prices for U.S. cattle sliding.

Scott Belden, a Broken Arrow rancher, told the Post he finally made solid money on his cattle in May and June for the first time in more than a decade, only to see it vanish by August. He said he now loses between $200 and $250 per calf.

"I'm not a huge political guy, but it's probably the most gut punch I've ever felt," Belden said.

The race pits Democrat Cyndi Munson, the state House minority leader, against Mike Mazzei, a former state senator and budget director who clinched the GOP nomination with Trump's endorsement. In mid-October, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved the contest from "Solid Republican" to "Likely Republican." The Republican Governors Association has pumped $3 million into Mazzei's bid, while its Democratic counterpart pledged $500,000 to Munson. Trump rallied for Mazzei on Oct. 1.

Oklahoma trails only Texas in beef production, and the Oklahoma Cattlemen's Association, a trade group representing the state's producers, ripped Trump's order as "extremely bad policy at exactly the wrong time." The group also pointed to worsening drought as a factor.

Chastin Johnson-Leggett, a farmer who once campaigned for Republicans and backed Trump, told the Post he's fed up with his party. He blamed Trump's tariffs for a $4 to $5 jump in the price of a bag of feed this year.

"How can I continue to support a party that's not supporting us?" Johnson-Leggett asked.