SNAC’s Kelly Knowles breaks down 2026 election

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SNAC’s Kelly Knowles breaks down 2026 election

7 Apr 2026

Annie Hollon

Annie Hollon is a journalist, copywriter and social media strategist from the Dallas, Texas area. She found a love for magazine writing during her time at the University of Alabama where she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts, double majoring in public relations and English. Beyond writing, you can find her expanding her library, attempting to teach herself the guitar and trying new hobbies.

DALLAS — It’s an election year, and with that comes the potential for a lot of changes that could impact food and beverage producers. With key issues such as ingredient bans and labeling requirements causing some trouble, it’s essential industry members stay tuned in to what’s happening politically.

“There’s so much going on in the country and globe right now, so a lot of factors are starting to hit a lot of the races we’re seeing on the Senate and House level,” said Kelly Knowles, senior advisor of advocacy and industry relations for SNAC International.

To keep snack leaders in the know, Knowles provided a snapshot of the Senate and House of Representatives elections and what the impact could be on the agriculture committees for both during a breakout session at SNX 2026, held March 29-31 in Dallas.

Senate races to watch

This year, there are 35 seats up for reelection, two of which are special elections.

The Republican Party currently holds the Senate with 53 members. The rest of the membership breaks down to 45 Democratic seats and two Independent. To flip the Senate, Democrats would need to gain four seats this cycle.

Knowles noted that of the four races SNAC is keeping a close eye on, Michigan is among them, following the retirement of Sen. Gary Peters. The candidates to replace the Democrat senator include Rep. Haley Stevens, Sen. Mallory McMorrow and former Wayne County health director Abdul El-Sayed.

“Polling and fundraising are relatively even right now, although we think Rep. Stevens has the resource edge,” Knowles said.

In North Carolina, the retirement of Republican Sen. Tom Tillis is also paving a path for an interesting race in North Carolina. The stage is set for the race between Democratic candidate former Gov. Roy Cooper and Republican candidate Mike Whatley, a state chair.

Up in Minnesota, another Democratic primary is shaping up between Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan and Rep. Angie Craig on Aug. 11. The Republican candidate is former sports reporter Michele Tofoya.

Lastly, the New Hampshire race, which Knowles noted will be a close one to watch, is to replace incumbent Sen. Jeanne Shaheen. Rep. Chris Pappas is the Democrats’ candidate, meanwhile Rep. John Sununu is the Republican nominee.

If the Senate retains a Republican majority, Sen. John Bozeman from Arkansas, someone Knowles noted is an ally to the snack industry, will continue serving as chair of the Senate Agriculture Committee for another four years. However, if the Senate flips, the next most senior Democrat who could become chair if the Senate flips is Sen. Corey Booker of New Jersey.

“He’s been very critical publicly of what he calls ‘highly processed food systems’ and ‘industrial agriculture,” Knowles shared. “He does have some overlap with the ‘Make America Healthy Again (MAHA)’ agenda with his concerns about what he claims are diet-related chronic diseases, but he’s not aligned on the MAHA approach. His real efforts have been around better access to nutritious foods in underserved communities, but he has been an ally to this industry on SNAP choice to some degree.”

What’s happening in the House

One of the biggest changes impacting the elections for the House of Representatives is the slew of redistricting efforts occurring across the country and population shifts from state to state.

Currently, Republicans hold a slim 218-214 majority and with 60 open seats this election cycle, a lot of change can happen in this part of the legislative branch. With such a slim majority, Knowles said, it may likely come down to fewer than 10 House races to flip this arm of the legislature.

“The silver lining, and what I think is a great opportunity for this industry, is to cultivate relationships with new members of Congress who may be more responsive to early engagement and open to influence,” she said.

In the House Agriculture Committees, there are a couple of close races that SNAC is keeping an eye on, including the race for Wisconsin’s third congressional district, currently held by Republican Derrick Van Orden. This committee is chaired by Glenn “GT” Thompson of Pennsylvania, someone Knowles shared is a close ally to the snacking industry and supportive of SNAP Choice.

For SNAC, one of the key focuses is the House Farm Bill, which includes changes to the SNAP program, and whether or not it will pass before the August recess.

SNAC’s role in the election

To support and advocate for the snack industry, the association is staying active in its advocacy pillar, led by Matthew Grill, SNAC International VP of advocacy.

This includes hosting events such as the Legislative Fly-In, taking place June 9 and 10 in Washington DC. Additionally, SnackPAC, the association’s bipartisan political action committee, is conducting work to support the industry by supporting key candidates who understand the needs of snack producers. SNAC is also one of several associations and CPG companies signed onto the Americans for Ingredient Transparency (AFIT) bipartisan coalition.

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