Theresa Greenfield, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate in Iowa, pledged her support for the ethanol industry during a phone interview with The Messenger on Wednesday.

“I am a big supporter of our ethanol and biofuels industry,” said Greenfield, who canceled her visit to Fort Dodge after members of her campaign were exposed to someone with COVID-19. “It (ethanol) has provided so many jobs and commodities.”

Greenfield, of Ames, criticized U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst, a Republican, for accepting donations from oil companies like ExxonMobile.

“Joni Ernst hasn’t been a friend to ethanol,” she said. “She sold farmers out.”

In a visit to Calhoun County in August, Ernst said she had visited with President Donald Trump about waivers granted to Big Oil, which frees those companies from blending ethanol into their gasoline. She had that conversation with Trump before the pandemic, she said. It was Ernst’s hope during the summer that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency would stop providing waivers.

Ernst had also pushed the president to allow sales of 15 percent ethanol year round, which he did earlier this year.

In terms of waivers, Greenfield said, “If they want to look at waivers, they should get congressional approval.”

Greenfield, a businesswoman who has worked in real estate, was also critical of EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler.

“I won’t vote for an EPA administrator who doesn’t support our biofuels industry,” she said. “I want to invest in research in the future, grow our ethanol and other market places. It’s an important part of our ag economy.”

Greenfield added, “I grew up rural, driving wagons of corn to the elevator. I know how important it is to our farmers.”

As Greenfield has made her campaign stops in Iowa, she said health care has been the No. 1 topic she hears about.

“It’s the No. 1 topic, whether it’s farmers who can’t afford premiums or seniors getting gouged for prescription drug costs or hospitals and clinic providers who tell me Medicaid is a huge part of their success.”

Greenfield said she wants to “strengthen” the Affordable Care Act.

“One of the ways we do that is build in a public option, make sure there is competition and drive down those costs,” she said.

According to Greenfield, over a million Iowans have pre-existing conditions.

“They need to know Joni Ernst voted to end the Affordable Care Act and end the expansion of Medicaid which has been a lifeline for rural hospitals,” Greenfield said.

An issue close to Greenfield’s heart is Social Security, she said.

“I was widowed at 24 when my first husband died in the workplace,” Greenfield said. “I became a single mom. It was Social Security and his union benefits that kept the boys and I out of poverty. It gave me a chance to go back and go to school and get back on the path of providing for my family.”

Greenfield said Ernst has talked about privatizing Social Security and voting to defund it.

“Even Senator Grassley said that’s a bad idea,” Greenfield said. “Iowans — they are hard working and have gotten up every day to earn those benefits and rely on them as part of their dignified retirement.”

Greenfield insists she can work with both parties if elected.

“We need strong leadership,” she said. “I will work with anyone to get the jobs done and to tackle the biggest issues.”

Greenfield said Washington needs to work more like her hometown did.

“I worked as a city planner,” she said. “You learn right away the pothole in the middle of the street is not a Republican problem or a Democrat problem, it just needs fixed.”