Here are the Republican primary candidates for Texas agriculture commissioner
Two Republicans are in the primary race for Texas agriculture commissioner. The winner will advance to November and run against Clayton Tucker, the sole Democrat seeking the office.
Here are the Republicans’ responses to the Star-Telegram candidate questionnaire, in the order they’ll appear on the ballot.
Nate Sheets
Age (as of March 3): 56
Campaign website: natesheets.com
Best way for voters to reach you: 214-642-9367
Occupation: Entrepreneur, Founder of Nature Nate’s Honey
Education: BBA degree in Marketing from Southwest Texas State University.
Have you run for elected office before? No
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: Global Missions Fellowship (now e3 Partners), helped mobilize short-term missions and played a key role in launching the EvangeCube, a handheld gospel-sharing tool distributed to millions. Helped launch I Am Second, a global video storytelling campaign featuring athletes, musicians, and cultural influencers sharing testimonies of faith and transformation. U.S. Navy — Signalman, Reserve.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No bankruptcy, and no personal lawsuits.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Scott Fish, Darrell Bevelhymer, John Knox.
Why are you seeking this office? I’m running for Texas Agriculture Commissioner because Texas farmers and ranchers—especially small and mid-sized operations—are being squeezed out by broken supply chains, foreign imports, and policies that favor middlemen over producers. Texans should be fed by Texans, and state government should be working for the people who grow our food, not against them. I believe food should make us healthier and agriculture policy should reward hard work, transparency, and stewardship.
Agriculture is facing a real crisis. America lost 123,000 farms last year, and in Texas we’ve lost 68 farming families every week since 2018. The average farmer is now 60 years old, producers earn just 15 cents of every food dollar (down from 40 cents in 1980), and input costs are up 20–40% since COVID. We’re also losing working lands and facing major biosecurity that put our food supply at risk. Ag is being squeezed by foreign competition, rising costs, and weak leadership in Austin.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
First, I will DOGE the agency. My opponent raised hundreds of fees on farmers, ranchers, & small businesses. According to the State Auditor, those hikes brought in $27.3 million when the programs cost only $20.8 million, a $6.5 million surplus, while Miller handed out over $400,000 in bonuses to political allies. His mismanagement was so reckless that key duties were stripped from the agency, & he was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for misusing state & campaign funds. My first act will be to audit the agency, cut waste, end cronyism, & make sure every dollar serves Texas farmers, ranchers, and consumers—not political insiders.
Second, I will focus on rebuilding profitable markets for Texas producers by replacing the broken Go Texan Program and reconnecting farmers and ranchers directly with Texas consumers and institutional buyers.
Third, I will use agriculture policy to improve public health by prioritizing real, Texas-grown food in state-funded programs, especially schools.
How will you measure your success as Agriculture commissioner?
I will measure success by real-world outcomes, not press releases. Success means more Texas farmers and ranchers staying on the land, earning a larger share of the food dollar, and gaining reliable access to markets. It also means restoring integrity and fiscal discipline at the Texas Department of Agriculture, lowering unnecessary fees, and ensuring taxpayer dollars serve producers and consumers—not political insiders. And success means measurable improvements in the quality of food purchased with state dollars, including moving Texas out of the bottom tier on school lunches and toward the top ten by prioritizing nutritious, Texas-grown food that strengthens both public health and Texas agriculture.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
Texans deserve an Agriculture Commissioner who leads with integrity, respects the law, and puts farmers and ranchers first, not political insiders. Unfortunately, my opponent’s record shows a pattern of ethical lapses, financial mismanagement, & self-promotion that has undermined trust in this office. He also voted to give taxpayer funded benefits to illegal immigrants.
My opponent, Sid Miller, has long faced scrutiny over his relationship with longtime political advisor Todd Smith, who was arrested in 2021 & later pled guilty to felony bribery for soliciting payments related to hemp licenses at the Ag Commission. According to the arrest warrant, Smith’s associate falsely claimed there would be “only 15 total hemp licenses issued in the entire state” and told prospective applicants to pay $25,000 to secure one — even though each license cost only $100. Smith pled guilty to felony bribery last year — and Miller rewarded him by naming him Chief of Staff of the same agency he defrauded.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their agriculture commissioner?
Integrity, conservative values, and a dedication to solving our agriculture and chronic disease crisis.
This is why I am endorsed by a growing coalition of organizations and conservative leaders, including Gun Owners of America, Make Texans Healthy Again, Texas Eagle Forum, True Texas Project, Texas College Republicans, Grassroots America – We the People, Cattle Raisers PAC, Texas Cattle Feeders Association BEEF PAC, Kingwood Tea Party, Montgomery County Tea Party, Fort Bend Conservatives, Texas Gun Rights, Veterans for America First PAC, Former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, Senator Charles Perry, Senator Angela Paxton, Senator Kevin Sparks, Kelly Shackelford, President and CEO of First Liberty Institute, Mark Meckler, President of Citizens for Self-Governance and Convention of States, Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale, and more than a dozen members of the State Republican Executive Committee.
What is the biggest challenge facing the agriculture industry and Texans whose livelihoods depend on it? How would you address this challenge as commissioner?
We face two connected challenges. First, agriculture is in serious trouble family farms are disappearing, costs are rising, and producers are earning less. Second, this is happening alongside a major health crisis. Obesity has tripled since 1970 and more than 77% of young Americans are disqualified from military service. Over 75% of health spending goes toward preventable chronic disease, and Medicaid costs in Texas have tripled in just 20 years... so taxpayers are covering the bill.
The solution isn’t more subsidies, it’s better markets. Texas already spends billions on food for schools, prisons, hospitals, and state agencies, much of it flowing to multinational corporations for ultra-processed foods. As Agriculture Commissioner, I would work to redirect existing food dollars toward Texas-grown meat, fruits, and vegetables through smarter procurement. That predictable demand helps family operations stay on the land, creates rural jobs, and keeps food dollars in Texas.
Please outline your agriculture experience. How will that experience inform your tenure as agriculture commissioner if elected?
I’m a veteran and conservative agriculture businessman who built America’s #1 branded honey company starting with a single backyard hive. I’m not a career politician, and I’m not running to grow government—I’m running to make it work as intended, then get it out of the way.
I grew one beehive into Nature Nate’s, now sold in more than 16,000 stores nationwide, by earning consumer trust through transparency and quality—not regulation. We pioneered the raw and unfiltered honey category and led the industry in testing and transparency, not because regulators demanded it, but because it was the right thing to do. By earning consumer trust and creating a premium product people were willing to pay more for, we were able to pay beekeepers more for their honey and reward good stewardship instead of racing to the bottom on price. That’s how markets are supposed to work.
What steps, if any, would you take to promote the agriculture industry in Texas and help Texas farmers and ranchers?
The GO TEXAN program was created to help small family farms reach customers, but it has become a taxpayer-funded PR vehicle. Last year, the department spent public resources promoting a music festival where the Commissioner repeatedly took the stage and promoted himself. I would strip out the self-promotion and refocus the program on real market access.
I would replace it with a Texas Agriculture Marketplace—a simple, cost-neutral platform connecting farmers and ranchers directly to consumers, retailers, and institutional buyers. Producers would opt in voluntarily and pay only a small transaction fee to cover costs. The goal is straightforward: cut out middlemen, level the playing field, and put more money back into the pockets of Texas producers.
I would also create a dedicated TDA market-access team to work hands-on with producers to secure real shelf space at retailers like HEB and Kroger’s, using my own experience scaling Nature Nate’s into more than 16,000 stores nationwide.
Should consumable hemp products be banned in Texas? Why or why not, and what is your vision for Texas’ hemp industry?
I believe Texas must follow the rule of law, protect minors, and support veterans through regulated medical access—not backdoor legalization. Delta-8, Delta-9, and Delta-10 products flooded Texas because of a loophole, not because the Legislature or voters approved recreational marijuana. Congress has now closed that loophole nationally, and I believe Texas should respect that clarity and enforce the law as written. As a veteran, I support expanding the Texas Compassionate Use Program so those suffering from PTSD, chronic pain, and anxiety can access safe, regulated medicine—not untested synthetics sold at gas stations. My position is simple: protect kids, protect consumers, support veterans, and uphold the decisions made by Congress and the Texas Legislature.
We don’t know where my opponent stands on this issue because he has changed his position so many times depending on who he is talking to.
What step, if any, would you take to promote healthy and nutritious food in Texas public schools?
My opponent talks about “making kids healthy,” but his record shows the opposite: his first act as Commissioner was to roll back bans on cupcakes, sodas, & fryers in Texas schools. The result? More junk food on kids’ plates and worse health outcomes.
Taxpayers are footing the bill on the back end, through skyrocketing health care & Medicaid costs. More than 75% of U.S. health spending goes toward chronic conditions. By leveraging large institutional buyers, schools, hospitals, and other government-funded programs, we can redirect those same dollars to Texas-grown food. This isn’t expanding government, it’s fixing the market so that our food dollars strengthen Texas farmers and improve public health.
Texas currently ranks 43rd in school lunches. My goal is to move Texas into the top ten for school food quality before the end of my first term, by rewarding real nutrition instead of ultra processed junk, supporting Texas producers, & demanding better outcomes for kids & taxpayers.
Sid Miller
Age (as of March 3): 70
Campaign website: SidMiller.com
Best way for voters to reach you: millerfortexas@gmail.com
Occupation: Texas Agriculture Commissioner
Education: B.S. in Agriculture Education with Honors, Tarleton State University
Have you run for elected office before? Texas House of Representatives 2001-2013, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture 2015-present
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
Throughout my life, I’ve been deeply involved in serving Texas communities. I’ve volunteered with FFA, 4‑H, and local agricultural youth programs to mentor the next generation of Texas producers. As a former teacher and rodeo champion, I’ve promoted agricultural education and Texas heritage across the state. I’ve worked with food banks and school nutrition programs to ensure families and children have access to healthy, Texas‑grown food. I’ve also partnered with rural leaders to improve infrastructure, promote veterans in agriculture, and strengthen small‑town economies. My civic work has always focused on one mission—serving the people who make Texas the greatest agricultural state in the nation.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? NO
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? Yes, I have successfully sued the Obama and Biden Administrations of Unconstitutional Overreach
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Philip Oshotse, Drayton McLane, Hamza Deyaf
Why are you seeking this office?
As your Texas Agriculture Commissioner, I’m seeking reelection to continue fighting for our farmers, ranchers, and rural communities. Agriculture is the backbone of Texas, and my mission has always been to protect our producers, expand markets, and ensure food security for every Texan. I’ve worked to cut burdensome regulations, promote Texas-grown products, and bring innovation and technology to rural areas. But there’s more work to do—strengthening supply chains, defending property rights, and standing up to policies that hurt our way of life. With your support, I’ll keep putting Texas agriculture first and make sure the next generation of farmers has the tools and freedom to succeed.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
If reelected, my top three priorities will be:
1. Strengthening Texas Agriculture: I’ll continue fighting for our farmers and ranchers by expanding markets for Texas products, reducing unnecessary regulations, and protecting our agriculture from foreign influence and overreach.
2. Supporting Rural Communities: I’ll invest in rural infrastructure, broadband expansion, and healthcare access to ensure small towns remain strong and self‑sustaining.
3. Promoting Innovation and Food Security: I’ll champion new technologies that improve efficiency and sustainability in farming while protecting our food supply and securing a stable, affordable food system for all Texans.
Together, we’ll keep Texas agriculture strong, independent, and world‑leading.
How will you measure your success as Agriculture commissioner?
I’ll measure success by the strength and prosperity of Texas agriculture and the vitality of our rural communities. When our farmers and ranchers are profitable, our small towns are thriving, and families have access to safe, affordable food—then we’re succeeding. I’ll also gauge success by cutting red tape, increasing exports of Texas‑grown products, expanding rural broadband and infrastructure, and ensuring producers have the tools and freedom to compete globally. Above all, my measure of success is when Texans know their Agriculture Commissioner is fighting for them every single day—defending their land, livelihoods, and the future of Texas agriculture.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
Voters should choose me because I’ve proven I’ll fight every day for Texas farmers, ranchers, and rural families. I’m a lifelong cattleman, teacher, and legislator who understands the challenges our producers face because I’ve lived them. Under my leadership, we’ve expanded markets for Texas products, cut red tape, strengthened food security, and brought innovation to rural communities. I stand up to Washington overreach and defend Texas values—faith, family, and freedom. My opponent talks about agriculture; I’ve spent my life working in it. I know what it takes to keep Texas agriculture strong, profitable, and independent, and I’ll never stop fighting for the people who feed, fuel, and clothe this great state.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their agriculture commissioner?
Texans want an Agriculture Commissioner who understands their struggles, shares their values, and isn’t afraid to fight for them. They want someone with real agricultural experience—who’s worked the land, raised livestock, and lived the rural life. Texans want honesty, accountability, and leadership that delivers results, not politics. They want a commissioner who protects family farms, strengthens rural communities, ensures a safe and affordable food supply, and defends Texas from harmful federal overreach. Most of all, Texans want a fighter who puts farmers, ranchers, and consumers first. That’s what I’ve done, and that’s what I’ll keep doing—putting Texas agriculture and Texas families above all else.
What is the biggest challenge facing the agriculture industry and Texans whose livelihoods depend on it? How would you address this challenge as commissioner?
The biggest challenge facing Texas agriculture—and the hardworking Texans who depend on it—is water scarcity. Persistent droughts, explosive population growth, competing urban/industrial demands, and unreliable Rio Grande flows (despite recent 1944 Water Treaty progress) are draining reservoirs and threatening our $200B food & fiber economy. South Texas feels it first—Corpus Christi is the canary in the coal mine—but it’s spreading statewide, killing crops, shrinking herds, and hollowing out rural communities.
As your Ag Commissioner, I’m tackling it with a “moon shot” in my Great Texas Water Plan: capture every raindrop, reclaim wastewater, desalinate billions of acre-feet in brackish groundwater, push deep-earth exploration, and build massive storage/infrastructure. We’re enforcing water rights, demanding full treaty compliance (proud of recent U.S.-Mexico commitments on deliveries & debt repayment), securing federal disaster relief (like $280M to Rio Grande Valley producers), and launching the Texas Ag Disaster Task Force for rapid response to droughts, extremes, and invasives.
I’m also protecting prime farmland from thirsty data centers via Agriculture Freedom Zones, while promoting conservation, innovation, and ag’s priority access. Texas farmers & ranchers are the toughest—we’ll keep them thriving, food affordable, and our state strong. Water is our lifeblood; we need to treat it like it matters. God bless Texas agriculture!
Please outline your agriculture experience. How will that experience inform your tenure as agriculture commissioner if elected?
I’m a lifelong farmer, rancher, and agricultural businessman who has spent my entire career working the land and serving those who do the same. I’ve raised crops, operated a cattle and horse business, and understand firsthand the challenges Texas producers face—from droughts to fluctuating markets. Before becoming Commissioner, I served in the Texas Legislature, where I authored key agricultural legislation and defended rural interests. As Agriculture Commissioner, I’ve expanded markets, cut red tape, and brought technology and opportunity to rural Texas. My experience gives me a deep understanding of what our producers need—practical, informed leadership that protects their livelihoods and keeps Texas agriculture strong and growing.
What steps, if any, would you take to promote the agriculture industry in Texas and help Texas farmers and ranchers?
As Agriculture Commissioner, I’ll continue fighting to expand markets for Texas products, cut burdensome regulations, and ensure our farmers and ranchers have the tools they need to succeed. I’ll work to open new trade opportunities, strengthen “Go Texan” branding, and connect producers directly with consumers. I’ll also support rural infrastructure and broadband expansion, helping modernize operations and attract new generations to farming. Protecting Texas water resources, defending property rights, and promoting innovation in technology and sustainability will remain top priorities. My mission is simple—keep Texas agriculture strong, profitable, and independent for generations to come.
Should consumable hemp products be banned in Texas? Why or why not, and what is your vision for Texas’ hemp industry?
No, consumable hemp products should not be banned in Texas, but they must be responsibly regulated. The hemp industry offers Texas farmers a valuable alternative crop that supports rural economies and creates jobs. However, we must ensure products are safe, clearly labeled, and kept out of the hands of minors. My vision is for a well‑regulated Texas hemp industry that promotes innovation, protects consumers, and upholds our state’s agricultural integrity. With the right balance of oversight and opportunity, hemp can become a thriving part of Texas agriculture—benefiting farmers, small businesses, and consumers alike.
What step, if any, would you take to promote healthy and nutritious food in Texas public schools?
As Agriculture Commissioner, I will continue working to ensure Texas students have access to fresh, healthy, and Texas‑grown food in our schools. I’ve already expanded programs that connect local farmers with school cafeterias, bringing farm‑to‑table produce directly to our children’s plates. I’ll keep promoting nutrition education so students understand where their food comes from and why healthy choices matter. At the same time, we must give schools flexibility—balancing nutrition with practicality—so meals are both wholesome and cost‑effective. By supporting local agriculture, improving meal quality, and cutting red tape, we can give every Texas child the fuel they need to grow, learn, and thrive.