Commissioner of AgricultureStatewide · 3 candidates
In their own words
Nate Sheets
WebsiteBallotpedia- Key message 1
My first action will be to DOGE the agency. My opponent has run it into the ground. He raisied fees on farmers and ranchers. According to the State Auditor, those hikes brought in $27.3 million when the programs cost only $20.8 million. …
- Key message 2
The GO TEXAN program was meant to help small family farms reach customers, but it has turned into a taxpayer-funded PR tool. My opponent used it to host a music festival. I would strip out the self-promotion and refocus it on real market access. …
- Key message 3
We face 2 connected challenges. 1) Agriculture is in serious trouble family farms are disappearing, costs are rising, and producers are earning less. …
- Texas-First Trade
President Donald Trump has made America First Trade the center of his international agenda. Like President Trump, as the next Agriculture Commissioner, Nate Sheets will be a tenacious ambassador for Texas First Trade that helps create jobs for American citizens, increasing the bottom line for our farmers, ranchers, …
- Campaign statement
Nate Sheets has produced agricultural products and delivered them to market, and he understands the importance of American, and Texan, dominance in feeding this critical space to our national security. …
- Producing the Cleanest Food for Texas Families
America is experiencing a national awakening—MAHA—in regards to how our food is grown and the effects of what we put into our bodies on our health. Texas has the most robust agricultural economy in the nation: what grows in Texas feeds the nation. …
- Campaign statement
Nate Sheets will lead on helping our state’s producers grow the cleanest food possible while growing their bottom line. When elected Agriculture Commissioner, Nate Sheets will be the best partner in the history of Texas to our producers, helping them grow better food and grow food better.
- Border Security Starts with Labor Security
President Donald Trump has changed the course of our nation with his no-nonsense, unapologetic approach to securing our border and deporting illegal immigrants. One of the primary drivers of illegal immigration is economic and possibly nowhere is that more important to address than in agriculture.
Clayton Tucker
WebsiteBallotpedia- Key message 1
Make food and farming affordable again by busting the monopolies that have rigged the system.
- Key message 2
Remove harmful chemicals from food. Fight for policies that would both make meals at public schools both free for kids, have all food served in Texas public schools be from Texas farmers (exemptions can be made for foods that cannot be grown here at scale), and remove processed foods from schools.
- Key message 3
Stop AI data centers until they can prove they will not cause water/power inflation, dry up water wells, or cause any other forms of mass inflation or disruption to their local community.
- Stop AI Data Centers
Data centers, including those for AI, are cropping up across Texas. If we are not exceedingly smart with their design, placement, and purpose, they will cause higher water and power bills, run water wells dry, and may hurt jobs.
- Campaign statement
Data centers caused electricity prices to rise by 70% in some cases.
- Campaign statement
Data centers contribute to rising water prices as supply is restricted. Water wells are running dry in some areas, especially arid regions.
- Campaign statement
Data centers are causing massive inflation for computers, phones and tablets which working families, small businesses, and family farmers need to provide for themselves.
- Campaign statement
Does not create long-term jobs. If anything, it is net negative for job creation, as however many jobs are "created," even more are "destroyed" by automation.
Austin R. Kelly
WebsiteBallotpedia- Key message 1
Bringing Real Scientific Expertise to Texas Agriculture. Unlike career politicians, I am a scientist and a practitioner. As a PhD candidate in Ecology at Texas A&M and an independent ecological consultant, I have spent my career on the ground—surveying public lands, mapping rare species, and helping private landowners …
- Key message 2
Unwavering Defense of Private Property Rights. I believe that property rights are the foundation of a free society. As a Libertarian and a proponent of Objectivist philosophy, I hold that individuals should be free to manage their land and their lives without government interference. …
- Key message 3
Limited Government and Fiscal Responsibility. The government should be limited, efficient, and focused solely on protecting individual rights. I am committed to shrinking the size of the state bureaucracy and cutting wasteful spending within the Department of Agriculture. …