As the Texas primary elections approach, voters are weighing their options in one of the state’s most consequential down-ballot races: Texas Agriculture Commissioner. To help readers learn more about the candidates, High Plains Pundit is sharing background information on the top contenders. In particularly crowded races, we focus on candidates who have prior political experience or public prominence.
About the office
The Texas Agriculture Commissioner serves as the state’s chief advocate for agriculture, an industry that reaches into nearly every corner of Texas life. The commissioner oversees the Texas Department of Agriculture, which regulates a wide range of agricultural activities including livestock, grain production, plant health, pesticides, hemp, and organic operations. The department also supports agribusiness development, promotes Texas-made agricultural products, and advocates for state and federal policies intended to benefit farmers and ranchers.
Beyond regulation and promotion, the agency administers the National School Lunch Program for public schools, plays a role in rural economic development, and provides disaster relief assistance to agricultural producers. It is also responsible for consumer protection functions such as ensuring that price scanners and commercial scales are accurate, so Texans pay the correct amount for goods at the register. The scope of the office means the commissioner must balance farmer support, public health, economic development, and consumer protection.
What’s at stake
Agriculture remains the second-largest industry in Texas, with more than 230,000 farms statewide, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Texas is also one of the nation’s leading exporters of agricultural products, ranking sixth among states in 2024. Farmers and ranchers face mounting pressures from rising costs, labor shortages, supply chain disruptions, and increasingly volatile weather patterns linked to climate change.
The agriculture commissioner is tasked with regulating the industry from a consumer protection standpoint while also providing support, resources, and advocacy for producers who serve as economic anchors in many rural communities. Decisions made by the office can affect food prices, land use, water security, rural employment, and the long-term viability of family farms and ranches.
Republican primary: Experience versus a new direction
The Republican primary features two high-profile candidates: incumbent Sid Miller and challenger Nathan Sheets. Both bring distinct backgrounds and visions for the office.
Sid Miller has served as Texas Agriculture Commissioner since first winning election in 2014 and has since been reelected twice. Before holding statewide office, he spent 12 years in the Texas House of Representatives. A graduate of Tarleton State University, Miller lives in Stephenville, where he owns a tree nursery. He is also involved in breeding horses and participates in rodeo activities, tying his personal life closely to rural and agricultural culture.
Politically, Miller is known as a staunch conservative aligned with former President Donald Trump. His public persona is outspoken and combative, particularly on social media, where he frequently criticizes progressive politics and policies related to diversity, equity, and inclusion. During his tenure, he has taken positions and actions that supporters view as defending traditional values and critics see as divisive, including workplace directives related to gender expression. His policy priorities include strengthening Texas water security, protecting agriculture from invasive pests and diseases, expanding the state’s Go Texan branding program, and limiting the impact of data center development on farmland. He also supports the legalization of marijuana for medical use.
Miller’s campaign finances show more than $100,000 in cash on hand, with notable donations from business owners and political figures, including former U.S. Representative Kent Hance. He has been endorsed by several Republican state legislators, Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, and musician Ted Nugent. At the same time, Miller’s tenure has included controversies that have drawn media attention, including disputes with federal regulators and internal agency concerns involving political consultants and staff dynamics.
Challenging Miller is Nathan Sheets, a businessman and ranch owner who has not previously held elected office but brings private-sector experience to the race. Sheets served six years in the U.S. Naval Reserve and graduated from Texas State University. He is best known as the co-founder of Nature Nate’s Honey, a company that gained national recognition for producing raw and unfiltered honey. Sheets sold the company in 2021 and stepped down as CEO in 2024 to focus on his campaign.
Sheets identifies as a conservative Christian and aligns himself with the Make America Healthy Again movement, which emphasizes clean food, health-conscious agriculture, and scrutiny of chemicals in the food supply. His experience running a food company that emphasized product testing and purity has shaped his policy focus. Sheets has outlined priorities that include helping Texas farmers produce clean and healthy food, expanding agricultural job opportunities in rural areas, and working with lawmakers to strengthen the state’s ability to investigate and respond to potential agro-terrorism threats.
Financially, Sheets has a significant advantage, reporting more than $370,000 in cash on hand. His donors include prominent business figures and political families, some of whom previously supported Miller. Sheets has also secured high-profile endorsements, most notably from Governor Greg Abbott, as well as from major agricultural organizations such as the Texas Farm Bureau and the Texas Cattlefeeders Association. Several Republican state senators and former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum have also backed his candidacy, giving his campaign institutional support within the party.
Democratic primary: A progressive agricultural vision
On the Democratic side, Clayton Tucker is a prominent candidate drawing support from progressive circles. Tucker grew up working on his family’s ranch in Lampasas, giving him firsthand experience with rural life and agricultural labor. Professionally, he has worked as a fair trade organizer for the Trade Justice Education Fund, a nonprofit that focuses on the intersection of trade, public health, and environmental protection.
Tucker’s political background includes work as a Democratic campaign organizer, and he is active within the Texas Democratic Party and the Texas Progressive Caucus. His platform emphasizes preserving family farms, lowering food costs, reducing chemical use in food production, and addressing environmental concerns such as microplastics and PFAS contamination. He has also called for stricter oversight of large data centers and increased enforcement against agricultural monopolies, arguing that consolidation harms both producers and consumers.
Tucker’s campaign finances are more modest than those of his Republican counterparts, with just over $45,000 in cash on hand. His donor list includes former Texas Agriculture Commissioner Jim Hightower, reflecting ideological continuity with past progressive leadership in the office. Tucker has received endorsements from several Democratic members of Congress, including Representatives Lloyd Doggett, Greg Casar, and Jamie Raskin, as well as numerous Democratic state legislators.
Looking ahead
The race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner highlights broader debates about the future of agriculture in the state. Voters are being asked to choose between continuity and change, between regulatory approaches that emphasize traditional conservative priorities, health-focused food production, or progressive environmental and anti-monopoly policies. As agriculture continues to shape Texas’s economy and identity, the outcome of this race will influence how the state navigates economic pressures, environmental challenges, and consumer expectations in the years ahead.
