Ernst challenger Greenfield named to USDA post in Iowa

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) — President Joe Biden on Thursday announced the appointment of former U.S. Senate candidate Theresa Greenfield to serve in a top agriculture position in Iowa.

Greenfield, the Democratic nominee who lost to Republican U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst last November, was named Iowa director of rural development, a position in the U.S. Department of Agriculture. She will serve as the chief executive officer of the program that offers loans, grants and loan guarantees to help create jobs and support economic development.

The agency helps support rural housing programs and offers funding and support for health care, first responder services, water, electric and communications infrastructure. It also provides technical assistance and information to help agricultural producers and cooperatives get started and improve the effectiveness of their operations.

Greenfield has worked as an urban planner and real estate developer. She became president of the Iowa division of Rottlund Homes in 2007 and most recently served as president of a real estate firm based in Des Moines.

In the 2020 election, Ernst won by more than 110,000 votes, giving her a six percentage point margin. The two candidates spent more than $170 million on media as parties and interest groups poured money into the race, one of the costliest in the nation.