The big picture
Nate Sheets is challenging incumbent Sid Miller, who is seeking a fourth term as Texas agriculture commissioner. The winning Republican candidate will face Democrat Clayton Tucker in November, and the winner of that election will be sworn in for a four-year term in January 2027.
Tucker is running uncontested in the Democratic primary. Community Impact runs candidate Q&As for contested races only.
About the agency
The Texas Department of Agriculture’s duties include administering federal nutrition programs and grants; facilitating trade of agricultural products; protecting crops from pests and diseases; providing financial assistance to farmers and rural communities; and conducting consumer protection programs, according to the agency’s website.
Preparing for the polls
Early voting begins Feb. 17 for March primary races across Texas, including 18 statewide races and various local races. Registered voters may cast ballots in either Texas’ Republican or Democratic primary, but not both. Third-party candidates will appear on the ballot in November.
For more coverage of state and local races, visit communityimpact.com/election.
Meet the candidates
Community Impact gave all candidates running for contested statewide offices more than three weeks to complete the primary election questionnaire and communicated with their campaigns periodically. Community Impact‘s goal with election Q&As is to provide a side-by-side, equitable resource for Texas voters to review candidates’ perspectives as they prepare to head to the polls.
To ensure that candidates are the ones defining their positions in Community Impact‘s voter guide, if candidates did not complete the questionnaire after multiple attempts to contact them, the website reads “candidate did not respond to questionnaire before press time.” Candidates were informed of this policy.
Candidates were asked to keep responses under 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been minimally edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
* indicates incumbent candidate
What would your top priorities be if elected?
Secure Texas water, defend farmers from federal overreach, expand Go Texan markets, combat pests like screwworm, and advance Make America Healthy Again—keeping agriculture strong, free, and rooted in Texas values.
How will you advance the Texas Department of Agriculture’s goal of providing healthy food to students?
I’ll fight federal mandates, empower schools to serve Texas-grown food via Farm Fresh and Go Texan, promote real nutrition—not processed substitutes—and continue advising RFK Jr. on MAHA and the food pyramid. Parents, not Washington, should decide what’s on our kids’ plates. Healthy food starts with freedom, not bureaucracy.
What will you do to ensure Texas consumers can access safe, nutritious products at grocery stores and farmers markets?
I’ll strengthen TDA inspections, deploy our Biosecurity Team, expand Go Texan, and cut red tape so farmers get fresh, safe food to market faster—ensuring Texas-grown quality, transparency, safety, and choice, free from federal mandates.
How do you plan to continue developing Texas’ agricultural industry and supporting farmers/producers?
I’ll secure water, expand Go Texan markets, fight federal overreach, invest in pest/disease defense like screwworm detection and eradication, and deliver low-barrier loans and research through our Texas Agriculture Finance Authority (TAFA) and partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife—keeping Texas agriculture strong, independent, and profitable.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?
Water scarcity. Without bold action, Texas farms, cities, and industries will face a crisis. I’m securing our future with reservoirs, reuse, desalination, and treaty enforcement—because a dry Texas is a defeated Texas. Water is life, and I won’t let our state run dry.
What would your top priorities be if elected?
Governor Abbott endorsed my campaign. … Day one, we restore integrity, audit the agency, and make it function properly. Then I’ll cut red tape, taxes, and fees hurting farmers, and use Texas’ purchasing power to move from ultra-processed foods to real food—helping local producers thrive.
How will you advance the Texas Department of Agriculture’s goal of providing healthy food to students?
What kids eat directly impacts their health and ability to learn. I’m endorsed by Make Texans Healthy Again because they trust me to clean up school lunches. Today, less than 10% of school food comes from local farms. I’ll set clear benchmarks to increase whole, Texas-grown foods year over year.
What will you do to ensure Texas consumers can access safe, nutritious products at grocery stores and farmers markets?
Consumer protection starts with trust. At Nature Nate’s: I wouldn’t put it on my table, I wouldn’t put it on yours. I grew the company from one hive to America’s largest honey brand through testing products, honest labeling, and accountability. I’ll bring the same standard to food oversight.
How do you plan to continue developing Texas’ agricultural industry and supporting farmers/producers?
I’m endorsed by Texas Farm Bureau because they see real vision. I’ll take the GO TEXAN program away from self-promotion and festivals and turn it into a true marketplace—where farmers and ranchers can sell directly to consumers, Amazon-style—creating new markets, better margins for producers, and healthier food options for families.
What do you see as the greatest challenge for Texas in the next 5 years?
The greatest challenge facing the Texas Department of Agriculture is biosecurity. Threats like the New World screwworm sound like a horror movie (eats livestock from the inside out) but they’re real—and this outbreak happened on [the department’s] watch. Biosecurity is border security—this must be a priority.
