Oklahoma ranchers blame beef tariff cuts as Democrat narrows governor race gap
Oklahoma ranchers say US tariff cuts on imported South American beef have weakened cattle prices, adding to frustration with President Donald Trump’s economic record. Their discontent is helping Democrat Cyndi Munson close the gap in a state where a Democrat has not won the governorship since 2006.
Rancher Scott Belden said he began losing up to $250 per calf after cattle prices fell, while higher diesel costs have added pressure. Munson is polling three points behind Republican Mike Mazzei, who has spent more than $12 million of his own money; the Democratic Governors Association has contributed $500,000. The Cook Political Report shifted the race from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican”, and Trump has campaigned in the state for Mazzei.
In short
- Oklahoma ranchers blame tariff cuts for falling cattle prices.
- Democrat Cyndi Munson trails Republican Mike Mazzei by three points.
- Higher diesel costs are adding pressure on farms.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Ranchers can reasonably argue that cutting tariffs on imported South American beef increases competition and puts downward pressure on cattle prices, adding to the strain from higher diesel costs. If domestic producers bear those costs while imports gain access, the policy may undermine rural livelihoods and fuel dissatisfaction with the administration’s economic record.
The case against
Supporters of tariff cuts can argue that imports expand supply and competition, which may benefit consumers and businesses that rely on affordable beef. A fall in cattle prices does not by itself establish that tariff changes caused it, and ranchers’ wider cost pressures or other market forces may also explain their losses.
Explained simply
Oklahoma is a major cattle-producing state, and ranchers’ incomes depend partly on the prices they receive for calves and the costs of raising them. Tariffs are taxes on imported goods; lowering them can make foreign beef cheaper for US buyers, though cattle prices are also affected by other market forces.
The governor’s race is between Republican Mike Mazzei and Democrat Cyndi Munson. Oklahoma has not elected a Democratic governor since 2006, so the contest is being watched as a measure of how voters view the economy and the parties’ prospects in a strongly Republican state.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Oklahoma ranchers rage at Trump for ruining their livelihoods by making South American beef cheaper to buy… with Democrat gubernatorial candidate now surging in deep red state”.