On the Anniversary of “Liberation Day,” Kansas Farmers and Rural Communities Are Still Paying the Price for Failed Tariff Policies
GOP candidates for governor refuse to stand up for Kansans as they face rising costs
TOPEKA, KS — One year after the “Liberation Day” tariffs were imposed, here’s your reminder that the GOP field of candidates running for governor have refused to stand up against the reckless tariffs that have driven up costs, weakened markets, and deepened uncertainty for the farmers, producers, and small-town communities already operating on thin margins.
Kansas exported more than $4.75 billion in agricultural products in 2024, making stable trade and strong export markets essential for farmers. These tariffs have squeezed producers from both sides by threatening markets abroad while raising the cost of fertilizer, machinery, and other essentials at home. Kansas wheat growers alone absorbed an estimated $141 million in added fertilizer costs tied to these tariffs. The strain is already showing: one report found that 700 Kansas farms closed last year, and farm bankruptcies nationwide rose to 315 in 2025, up 46 percent from the year before.
Manufacturing employment is down, construction spending has cooled, and hiring has fallen to one of its weakest points outside the pandemic in years.
Even now, after these policies raised costs and failed to deliver the manufacturing boom they promised, the Republican candidates for governor still refuse to stand up against them. Jeff Colyer promoted this cost-raising agenda as a manufacturing boom, despite mounting evidence that it was doing the opposite. And even after the damage was clear, Ty Masterson doubled down, saying the Supreme Court ruling striking down much of the tariff regime as unconstitutional only “strengthens our resolve” to keep pushing the same failed policies. The rest of the Republican field has offered little more than silence, choosing political cover over standing up for Kansas farmers and working families.
Statement from Kansas Democratic Party Chair Jeanna Repass:
“A year later, the damage from these failed tariff policies is clear. Kansas farmers and rural communities have been hit with higher costs, disrupted markets, and more economic uncertainty – yet none of the Republicans running for governor have spoken out against these reckless policies. The GOP field has made it clear they can’t be trusted to stand up for our state and our farmers.”
Proposed Socials:
“On the anniversary of the “Liberation Day” tariffs, here are the results for Kansas farmers:
700 farms closed last year
$141M in added fertilizer costs
Farm bankruptcies up 46%
Kansas needs leaders who will stand up against these failed tariff policies hurting farmers and rural communities.”