Court's pesticide ruling raises stakes in Iowa governor race

Driving the news: The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that people suing Monsanto over Roundup's cancer risks cannot use state law to demand warning labels beyond what the EPA has approved.

• The 7-2 decision could block thousands of pending lawsuits from people who say they developed cancer after exposure to glyphosate, the active ingredient in Roundup.

What they're saying: Republican nominee Zach Lahn called the ruling "a terrible decision."

• "This is not a win for farmers — in any way," he wrote, saying the decision strips people harmed by pesticides of legal recourse and undermines civil liability as "a key part of the free market."

The other side: Rob Sand, the Democratic nominee, also criticized the ruling, saying he would push federal officials to prioritize Iowans' health over "big corporations, powerful insiders or their party bosses."

• "This decision is wrong, gross, and will continue to make life worse for Iowans," Sand said in a statement to Axios.

Zoom in: Lahn has aligned himself with the Make America Healthy Again movement, blaming part of Iowa's cancer surge on pesticide exposure and opposing legal shields for pesticide manufacturers.

• Sand has also made Iowa's cancer rates and water quality central issues in his campaign, including proposing a Cabinet-level cancer task force, more water monitoring and a dirty-water notification system.

What we're watching: Whether the ruling undercuts state-level fights over pesticide liability — and whether Lahn and Sand keep competing over who is tougher on chemical companies.