Congressman Who Made “Stopping Chinese Land Grabs” a Cornerstone of His Career Took Cash From the Very Firms He Claimed to Oppose
Randy Feenstra is running for Iowa governor as a tough-on-China conservative who wants to protect American farmland from foreign adversaries.
But new records show the congressman quietly took tens of thousands of dollars in campaign contributions from companies directly tied to the Chinese Communist Party — firms that own thousands of acres of U.S. farmland, including land right here in Iowa.
The Numbers Don’t Lie
Federal Election Commission filings reveal:
- $18,500 from Syngenta’s PAC (2020–2024)
- $4,750 from Smithfield Foods’ PAC (2020–2023)
Total: $23,250 from two companies with deep ties to Beijing.
Syngenta is a global agribusiness owned by the Chinese state-owned Sinochem, giving it a direct link to the CCP. As of 2022, Syngenta already owned at least 3,558 acres of American farmland across 14 states.
Smithfield Foods, the world’s largest pork processor, was acquired by China-based WH Group in 2013. Smithfield accounts for the vast majority of Chinese-owned U.S. farmland — with Chinese entities holding between 277,000 and 380,000 acres nationwide.
Hypocrisy on Full Display
This comes from the same Randy Feenstra who has repeatedly sounded the alarm about Chinese companies buying American farmland. He’s sponsored amendments, written op-eds, and made it a signature issue — all while cashing checks from the very companies doing the buying.
Republican insiders are furious.
“You can’t rail against China buying up our farmland on the campaign trail and then turn around and take their money,” said one Iowa GOP strategist familiar with the race. “This is exactly why voters are demanding real America First candidates instead of establishment politicians who say one thing and do another.”
The timing is brutal for Feenstra. With the June 2, 2026 Republican gubernatorial primary weeks away, conservatives are already questioning whether he’s truly committed to keeping Iowa land in Iowa hands.
The Bottom Line
Randy Feenstra wants Iowans to trust him to protect our farms, our food supply, and our sovereignty from Chinese influence.
But the record is crystal clear: while he was publicly fighting Chinese land grabs, he was quietly pocketing $23,000 from CCP-linked companies that are doing exactly that — buying up American farmland, including in his own state.
Took the money. Looked the other way. Now running as a “tough on China” governor.
Iowa Republicans aren’t stupid.
In the Trump era, voters expect consistency. Feenstra’s farmland cash scandal shows he’s more interested in campaign checks than keeping Chinese communists off Iowa soil.
And right now, that record is front and center.
