THE BURNED OVER DISTRICT

Maybe when he is merely a landlord renting his land to others who do the actual work? Whatever your position is, the Democrats want the 'farmer' designation removed from the ballot description for Republicans Jeff Denham and Devin Nunes.

Before the state’s June primary, more than a half-dozen congressional and statewide candidates were forced to amend their designation after being denied their first choice by California’s secretary of state or because of an opponent’s court challenge.

Red to Blue, a Democratic program designed to flip Republican House seats, filed a lawsuit against Denham Tuesday, saying he isn’t truly a farmer because he leases his 20 acres of almond orchards in Atwater. The income he earns from the land, valued at minimum $500,000, is in rent and not listed as farm income on his 2018 financial disclosure report.

The lawsuit, filed in Sacramento County Superior Court, calls for Democratic California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who approved the “Businessman/Farmer/Representative” designation in March, to remove the description on the November ballot.

The majority of Denham’s overall income, besides his congressional salary, comes from renting a property in Turlock and from his plastics company based in Salinas, California.

Denham said the plastics company also makes farming equipment, adding to the income that comes from his involvement in agriculture.

Calling the lawsuit “ridiculous” and “an attempted distraction to not talk about water issues,” he said he grew up farming a wide variety of produce, from corn to watermelon. He also bought the farmland 15 years ago and worked on it personally with his children, he said.

“I bought the land as a sweet potato farm, and my kids helped me pull it out and plant almond trees,” Denham told McClatchy. “They grew up on it.”

He said he leased it seven years ago when he started coming to Washington.

It’s not the first time Denham has been criticized over the issue. A former congressional opponent, Michael Eggman, put “Real Local Farmer” atop many of his campaign signs, to contrast himself with Denham. More recently, at a public appearance last week, some protesters chanted “fake farmer” at Denham.

Nunes is facing a similar challenge, with Democratic Super PAC Fight Back California funding a challenge in court that would force the congressman to remove the farmer designation. While Nunes’ most recent financial disclosure reports less than $5,000 in income from Alpha Omega Winery and less than $200 from a Bank of America Savings Account, his family owns a farm in Tulare.

The lawsuit says Nunes has not “earned income from farming or agriculture operations in at least 10 years.”

If they want to be accurate Devin Nunes should be listed as 'Russian Asset' but that would take up 2 of his 3 allowed words.