... For the most part, the Secretary of Ag's position is to watch over bureaus that are generally regulatory. The Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is broken down into various divisions, then bureaus: ... Now, nowhere do I see "Livestock Zoning" or "Ethanol Plant Ownership", issues that are polarizing this race. It really doesn't matter what Bill Northey or Denise O'Brien think about local control of livestock operations; they'll get their marching orders from the Legislature and Governor. ... To be honest, it might make more sense to have the SOA appointed by the Governor and the DNR Chief selected by general election.