When she is sworn in on January 3, 2023, Congresswoman-Elect Nikki Budzinski will be tasked with representing the interests of farmers in a vast swath of her home state of Illinois, all the way from Champaign to Springfield to just north of St. Louis.

It’s the heart of corn country, and she knows that agriculture will factor heavily in many of the issues she will have to address in Washington.

But Budzinski, a Democrat, also represents an evenly-divided constituency that previously elected a Republican to the seat.

And she recognizes that it’s more important than ever to build bridges, find common ground and strive toward bipartisanship in the Capitol.

In this episode, we ask the newly-elected Congresswoman what she sees as the biggest issues that growers face today, how she’s planning to go to bat for America’s farmers, and what it’s like going to a place like Washington as a Congressional freshman.