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Endorsements from AgELECT and ELECT, Indiana Farm Bureau’s political action committees, signal to candidates that INFB and its members believe they will support farmers while serving in office.

This is what makes endorsements such a powerful tool,” said Jeff Cummins, INFB director of state government relations.

But another important component of the endorsement process is the campaign funding that usually accompanies an endorsement, and the reason this is important is the high cost of political campaigns, even at the statehouse level.

"You could run up $500,000-$600,000 pretty easy if it’s a real competitive race,” said Rep. Bob Cherry, who was first elected to represent House District 53 (Hancock and Madison counties) in the Indiana General Assembly in 1998.

Even a less competitive race usually requires some significant expenditures, according to Cherry as well as Rep. Kendell Culp, INFB’s vice president who also represents House District 16 (Jasper, Pulaski, Starke and White counties) in the Indiana General Assembly.

Culp, who was elected in 2022, said he spent $87,050 on his primary election campaign, which includes the cost of yard signs; newspaper, radio and digital advertising; printing of cards and leaflets; mailings; and a campaign consultant.

The cost increases exponentially if you need to advertise on television, Cherry said, particularly if you have constituents in more than one television market.

Because Cherry’s district, which covers portions of Hancock and Madison counties, is in central Indiana, the only television market he would have to worry about is Indianapolis, but he added that he doesn’t consider it a good use of his campaign’s money.

“I think going door-to-door and sometimes mailers are a better use of your money,” he said. “It wears your shoes out, it takes a lot of time – but it’s helpful.”

INFB has two PACs: AgELECT, which focuses on state Senate candidates, state House of Representative candidates and state legislative caucus events; and ELECT, which operates on the federal level, concentrating primarily on the U.S. House. These PACs follow the same endorsement and operating procedures, but AgELECT has more fundraising flexibility because unlike ELECT, it can accept donations from both members and non-members as well as corporations.

“Finding ways to help farm-friendly candidates is a crucial part of the endorsement process,” Cummins said. “The cost of campaigns demonstrates why monetary donations are so important.”

More on AgELECT and ELECT, as well as information on how to donate, can be found at www.infb.org/pacs.