From Farmland to the Federal City

From New England to small-town Iowa; from Mayor to Governor; from acquaintance to colleague; from the Midwest to Washington D.C. United States Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack has held many titles during his extensive career, all of which have helped establish him as a national leader and a trustworthy public figure. Beginning his career as a young, rural Iowa lawyer, Vilsack has pushed through adversity and found his way into the presidential cabinet. His life is proof that success can be found anywhere, not just in the big cities.

Secretary Vilsack hasn’t always been able to call himself an Iowan. He grew up in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and attended college in New York state. He made his Iowan connection in 1968 when he met Christie Bell. According to Vilsack, “the first thing [he] said to Christie was to ask her whether she was a Nixon or Humphrey supporter. She answered Humphery and [they] have been talking about politics ever since.” Five years later, Tom and Christie were married and by 1975, Vilsack had graduated from Albany Law School. 

“[Christie’s] dad offered me an opportunity to practice with him in his small-town law practice,” said the Secretary. “He wrote a wonderful letter to both of us extolling the virtues of living and working in Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.” The duo took the opportunity and relocated to Mt. Pleasant where the newcomer Vilsack began looking for ways to integrate himself within the rural community. “Christie taught in the Mt. Pleasant Community School System and as a result, we attended many school functions,” mentioned Vilsack. Noticing a trend in the quality of facilities for local students, the young lawyer took initiative and began a movement to raise money for the school district. “I became involved in the Booster Club and after a number of bond issues failed to provide support for new facilities, I took it upon myself to spearhead a volunteer-led fundraising effort. After a year of selling the need, a group of young people and I organized a weekend-long event on the local radio station asking for pledges,” said Vilsack. “The fundraiser was extraordinarily successful and led to large-scale effort that led to a new football field, bleachers that could hold a thousand fans, a new baseball field, a new softball field, a new band practice field, a new all-weather track, a new dressing room, and a wrestling practice room.” Through his commitment to progress, Secretary Vilsack was able to create large-scale change in a small, rural town; his contributions did not go unrecognized. “The result was I was accepted into the community,” he noted. “It led to leadership positions in the Rotary Club, the Chamber of Commerce, and United Way before I became mayor.”

In late 1986, the small community was stunned when the mayor, Edward King, was assassinated by a disgruntled citizen during a city council meeting. The killing of the eleven-year incumbent was mourned by residents of the town and by political leaders statewide. After King’s memorial, one question remained: who would take over the mayorship? “I was asked by the deceased mayor’s father to run,” said Vilsack. “[He] felt I had the leadership skills to move the city forward.” When the assassination occurred, Tom and Christie had lived in Mt. Pleasant for just over a decade and had established themselves as committed community leaders. “Christie and I had just finished working for then Senator Joe Biden when he ran for President in 1986,” he mentioned. “He often quoted a Greek philosopher that the penalty for not getting involved is that people less qualified than you govern you. I remembered that quote and felt I needed to try.” And in 1987, because of his demonstrated leadership qualities, Tom Vilsack was elected for his first term as mayor of Mt. Pleasant, beginning a career in politics that would span nearly four decades.

Over five years and two terms later, the Secretary began hearing calls for him to run for his district (District 49) in the Iowa Senate. “I had indicated to people that I felt two terms as mayor was enough for any one person,” said Vilsack. “The Senate seat became open due to reapportionment and people of the district encouraged me to run for the Senate. It was important to my party, the Democratic Party, that I run.” He already had over a decade of experience in law, combined with two terms as mayor and notoriety as a southwestern Iowa community leader. “I knew from experience that it was important for lawyers to serve in the legislature to protect our justice system,” mentioned Vilsack. After receiving over 50% of the vote in the general election, Vilsack became the State Senator from Iowa’s 49th district. In such an office, his political prominence was bolstered and he began making connections with executive lawmakers.

In 1998, four-term incumbent Republican governor Terry Branstad decided against running for a fifth term in office. Vilsack, serving his second term as a state senator, saw an opportunity to flip a position that had been held by Republicans for thirty years. “I realized after serving in the legislature that my personality was better suited to be an executive,” he said. Of course, he was the underdog. Polls projected his opponent, former U.S. congressman Jim Lightfoot, to win by as much as ten percent. “I was not expected to win, but I worked harder than my opponent and I knew why I wanted the job,” stated Vilsack. “I suggested Iowa could become the Food Capitol of the World where everything we grew and raised could become food, feed, fiber, fuel, chemicals, materials, and energy feedstocks.” His vision intrigued many Iowans, but the Vilsack campaign still had the disadvantage of him being labeled a Democrat. “I also reminded the people of Iowa that it is always a good idea to ‘rotate the crops’ after 30 years of one party controlling the governor’s office,” he noted. His philosophy proved effective, which led to a surprising six-point victory over Lightfoot in November 1998. From beginning the decade as the mayor of a town with just over seven thousand people to ending the decade as the governor of a state with nearly three million, the 1990s established Tom Vilsack as a qualified leader.

The Secretary began his tenure as governor singly. “The first year was hard because there had not been a Democrat in that office for three decades,” imparted Vilsack. “There was nobody I could turn to for advice.” At the time, the most recent Democratic governor had been Robert Fulton who left office in 1969; regardless, Vilsack took the challenge in stride and found ways to get his agenda across. “As a result of my service in the legislature I understood where legislators were coming from,” he said. “I had relationships that made it a bit easier to get my agenda passed despite having a Republican legislature.” In modern politics, having a divided government makes passing legislation extremely difficult, but Vilsack was able to accomplish plenty of bipartisan tasks while in office. He maintained a strong approval rating throughout his first term and funneled his momentum into a second term, winning by over eight points against Republican Doug Gross in 2003; however, come 2007, Vilsack decided against taking advantage of Iowa’s lack of term limits. “I strongly believe that you and the people that work with you get run-down after two terms,” noted Vilsack. “I have never seen a third term that was as good as the first two terms.” 

In addition to sticking with his beliefs, Vilsack also spent his second term juggling a presidential campaign and supporting his fellow candidates after dropping out of the race. In 2004, he received national attention after having his name floated in John Kerry’s VP conversation. Using his newfound national recognition, Vilsack announced his intention to run for President of the United States on November 30th, 2006. He focused on the war in Iraq, energy independence, the U.S. economy, and national security during his campaign, highlighting the failures of the Bush Administration. While his plans were well-organized, the lack of name recognition plagued his campaign; however, the connections he made on the trail proved to be instrumental in what came next in his career: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. He endorsed Barack Obama for President after Hillary Clinton left the race, and Obama selected Vilsack as his Secretary of Agriculture in late 2008. “I suspect that my run helped a bit with my being ultimately considered for Ag Secretary,” mentioned Vilsack. 

The presidential cabinet is made up of qualified people nominated by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate. On January 20th, 2009, Tom Vilsack was confirmed as the 30th Secretary of Agriculture by unanimous consent. His new office was quite different from previous offices he’d held, putting him in a position with many national responsibilities. “I like to say that being Secretary is like being governor of 50 states instead of one. It’s a department with a very wide portfolio, from taking care of our national forests to providing support for farmers,” said Vilsack. “One of its most important missions is ensuring food security for families that struggle here in the US and working with school districts to support nutrition in schools, child care facilities, and senior centers.” As Secretary of Agriculture, Vilsack was (and is) depended upon by millions and millions of Americans. Coming from representing seven thousand people in Mt. Pleasant, thirty thousand people in District 49, and nearly three million people in Iowa, he had some adjusting to do. “The pressure comes from knowing every single day millions of lives, livelihoods, and well beings depend on you and the team to do the job,” said the Secretary. “It is exhilarating but also highly stressful.” His first tenure spanned the entirety of Obama’s presidency, making him the former President’s longest-serving cabinet member. He was nominated for a third term by President Joe Biden in late 2020 and has held the position since being confirmed by the Senate 92-7 on February 23rd, 2021. He is one of the longest-serving Secretaries of Agriculture in U.S. history.

In 2016, near the end of Obama’s presidency, it was reported that Vilsack was on the two-person shortlist for Hillary Clinton’s VP spot, along with Virginia Senator Tim Kaine. The Secretary had been co-chair of the Clinton campaign in 2008 and formed a strong relationship with the former First Lady. “It was a great honor to be considered,” mentioned Vilsack. “In both cases being among the last two or three candidates was a high compliment.” From being the mayor of a rural Iowa town to a second consideration for Vice President of the United States, the Secretary has found success in several areas of American politics.

U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack’s path to the presidential cabinet was forged by hard work, dedication, and passion. From initiating a campaign to improve facilities in his local school district to taking over for a slain mayor; from becoming his district’s senator to winning the governorship as a heavy underdog; from running a small campaign for president to joining the presidential cabinet. Young Iowans today see our state as a void for success as opposed to places like California or New York; they see our state as a “flyover” country. “Any young person who feels that way is shortchanging Iowa,” said Secretary Vilsack. “I would strongly suggest to any such young person that they fully engage in a community activity with a focus of giving back and they will find that here you can make profound life changes for yourself and others.” His career began with a commitment to improving his community and finding ways to make change; today, he works closely with people nationwide as the head of one of the most important federal agencies. Success can be found anywhere, from the smallest communities to the biggest cities; all you have to do is commit.