Idaho Senator Says Magic Valley Dairies Dropped Husband’s Business Accounts Over Her Immigration Stance; Industry Calls It Free-Market Choice
Twin Falls-Area Dairies Cut Ties With Senator’s Husband, Citing Her Voting Record Against Agriculture
TWIN FALLS, Idaho — A dispute between an Idaho state senator and several Magic Valley dairy operations has drawn a sharp line between political accountability and free-market business decisions, with both sides claiming principle as their guide.
State Senator Glenneda Zuiderveld says three Magic Valley dairies ended a business relationship with her husband, Tom, in direct retaliation for her political positions — particularly her vocal stance on illegal immigration enforcement. The dairies and the Idaho Dairymen’s Association counter that they are simply exercising their right, in a free-market system, not to direct business toward a vendor whose spouse has spent four years in the Idaho Senate working against agriculture’s interests.
Tom Zuiderveld has worked in the dairy sector as a sales representative since 2005 and serves as an account representative for a lube and oil company that conducts substantial business with dairies across the Magic Valley. In March, Senator Zuiderveld released a public statement naming Millenkamp Cattle, Black Pine Cattle, and Cedar Ridge Dairy as the three businesses that requested Tom be removed as their account representative.
“When they quit us, we lost 85% of our income,” Zuiderveld said.
Senator Points to Immigration Stance as Root Cause
According to a letter sent by Tom’s employer, the decision to reassign his accounts was not related to his level of service. The letter stated that the three dairies aligned in a coordinated effort to no longer direct business through Tom, with his accounts reassigned immediately and instructions given that he was not to contact those customers again.
Senator Zuiderveld has been a consistent advocate in the Idaho Legislature for measures requiring employers to verify the legal work status of employees and for stronger immigration enforcement statewide. She has framed those positions as a matter of rule of law and the protection of Idaho families.
“This is political retaliation,” Zuiderveld said. “This isn’t about poor service or performance. It is because I have stood firm on illegal immigration, an issue that matters deeply to Idaho families and our rule of law.”
Zuiderveld said she and Tom spent a full year weighing the potential financial consequences to their livelihood before she decided to run for office, acknowledging that her positions could carry a personal cost.
“Tom and I knew there could be a price for standing on principle,” she said. The senator made clear she does not intend to change her positions in response to the financial pressure, saying she views the dairies’ coordinated action as an attempt to force her out of public service.
Dairy Industry Cites Four-Year Pattern of Anti-Agriculture Votes
Idaho Dairymen’s Association CEO Rick Naerebout pushed back firmly on the senator’s characterization, arguing the decision was not driven by a single issue but by four years of voting and public statements that he says have repeatedly worked against Idaho’s agricultural industry.
“This is a response to four years of a collective voting record and multiple statements that go against agriculture,” Naerebout said. “She’s made multiple statements that attack farmers, she’s advocated for legislation that works against farmers.”
Naerebout challenged Zuiderveld to demonstrate support for agriculture, saying the association could not identify a single bill she had championed during her four years in the Senate that benefited the industry.
Naerebout framed the dairies’ business decision in straightforward free-market terms. “It is a free market capitalist system, and if you have a choice as a consumer to buy something you need and the price is the same, but one vendor supports you and the other vendor attacks your business, you’re probably not gonna buy from the vendor that attacks your business,” he said.
Hank Hafliger of Cedar Ridge Dairy released a written statement echoing that position. “At Cedar Ridge Dairy, like most American companies and individuals, we choose to do business with those whose values align with ours,” Hafliger wrote, adding that the dairy and others in the industry have long struggled with commissions from their purchases flowing to the Zuidervelds, who he said support organizations and candidates that work against Idaho agriculture.
What Comes Next
Senator Zuiderveld has made clear she intends to remain in public service and will not alter her legislative positions as a result of the financial impact on her family. Whether the dispute escalates further — through legal challenges, additional public statements, or broader industry action — remains to be seen. The controversy has drawn significant attention in the Magic Valley and may intensify already-existing tensions between immigration enforcement advocates and Idaho’s agriculture sector, which relies heavily on a large labor force. For continuing statewide coverage of Idaho legislative and agricultural issues, visit Idaho News and Idaho News Network.