Joe Maxwell is a fourth-generation Missouri farmer, former Missouri Lieutenant Governor, and nationally recognized advocate for fair and competitive markets. A retired First Sergeant in the Missouri National Guard, Maxwell also served ten years in the Missouri General Assembly and holds degrees in agricultural economics and law from the University of Missouri. He is President of Farm Action Fund, where he has helped lead national efforts to challenge corporate concentration in agriculture and restore economic opportunity for farmers and rural communities. In 2026, Maxwell launched the Rural Independence Initiative, a rural-led movement bringing Americans together across political lines to confront monopoly power, restore competitive markets, defend state and individual freedoms, and rebuild economic independence in rural America.