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Commissioner of Agriculture

4-year termOpen seat: three-term incumbent Sid Miller lost the March 3, 2026 Republican primary to Nate Sheets. The Green Party nominated Alfred Molison in April 2026, but the Secretary of State 2026 ballot certification and the SOS statewide sample ballot (Aug. 28, 2026) list only Nate Sheets (REP), Clayton Tucker (DEM) and Austin R. Kelly (LIB), and he is not on the Tarrant County declared write-in list, so he is not on the ballot and is omitted.Fully researched. Last researched Oct 20, 2026Report a correction
Republican
Democratic
Libertarian
Priorities for This Office
What does the candidate say they would prioritize in this office?
Clean, healthy food in homes and schools with safer ingredients and honest labels; requiring data centers to fund water and agriculture programs; rural jobs; federal E-Verify. 
Preserve family farms, lower food costs, right to repair for farm equipment, regulate microplastics and PFAS, allow hemp farming, and limit data center growth. 
Aquifer conservation without state seizure of groundwater rights, fewer regulations on family farms and hemp, protection from eminent domain, and ending subsidies. 
Relevant Experience
What experience does the candidate cite as qualifying them for this office?
Cites two decades as an agriculture entrepreneur, ranch ownership, food testing practices at his company, and Navy Reserve service. 
Cites his family ranching background, agriculture and water research, Texas Farmers Union leadership and small business ownership. 
Cites scientific training in ecology and rangeland, consulting work with landowners, and small farm and livestock experience. 
Operations and Service
What changes, if any, does the candidate propose to how the office operates or serves the public?
Would create an agriculture marketplace linking consumers with local producers and seek state authority to investigate agroterrorism. 
Would require data center 'Ag Impact Studies' on day one, help localities form 'Ag Development Districts,' rebuild agricultural co-ops and expand the AgriStress helpline. 
Would audit the Department of Agriculture to cut spending and fees, eliminate some agricultural licensing, and publish a scientific review on water and brush control. 
Issue 1 of 3

Priorities for This Office

What does the candidate say they would prioritize in this office?
Republican
Clean, healthy food in homes and schools with safer ingredients and honest labels; requiring data centers to fund water and agriculture programs; rural jobs; federal E-Verify. 
Democratic
Preserve family farms, lower food costs, right to repair for farm equipment, regulate microplastics and PFAS, allow hemp farming, and limit data center growth. 
Libertarian
Aquifer conservation without state seizure of groundwater rights, fewer regulations on family farms and hemp, protection from eminent domain, and ending subsidies. 
Sources for this contest (7)
  1. Sample Ballot, General and Special Elections, November 3, 2026, Harris County Clerk / Harris County Elections. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  2. List of Declared Write-In Candidates (Form AW2-12), November 2026, Tarrant County Elections. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  3. Texas 2026 candidate directory, Politics1. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  4. 2026 Texas Commissioner of Agriculture election, Wikipedia. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  5. Texas agriculture commissioner 2026 guide: Nate Sheets, Clayton Tucker, The Texas Tribune. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  6. 2026 General Election Ballot Certification, Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.
  7. 2026 Statewide Sample Ballot (Aug. 28, 2026), Texas Secretary of State. Retrieved Oct 20, 2026.