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Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
| Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $103,348 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $82,524,997 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 112 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
Rick Pate | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other Alabama Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Superintendent of Education • Agriculture Commissioner • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Commissioner • Labor Commissioner • Public Service Commission | |
The Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries is a state executive position in the Alabama government. The commissioner oversees the state Department of Agriculture, which promotes and regulates agricultural and industrial activity in the state.
Current officeholder
The current Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries is Rick Pate (R). Pate assumed office in 2019.
Authority
The commissioner of agriculture and industries' authority derives from Article V, Section 112 of the Alabama Constitution.
Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 112
| The executive department shall consist of a governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture and industries, and a sheriff for each county. |
Qualifications
Qualifications for the office of commissioner of agriculture and industries are described in Article V, Section 132 of the state constitution. Candidates for the office must have been a citizen of the United States for seven years, a resident of Alabama for five years, and at least 25 years of age.
Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 132
| No person shall be eligible to the office of attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, or commissioner of agriculture and industries unless he shall have been a citizen of the United States at least seven years, and shall have resided in this state at least five years next preceding his election, and shall be at least twenty-five years old when elected. |
Elections
Per Section 114 of the state constitution, Alabama elects its agriculture commissioners during federal midterm election years (e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030). Section 116 sets the commissioner's inauguration for the first Monday after the second Tuesday in the January following an election.
Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 114
| The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, and commissioner of agriculture and industries shall be elected by the qualified electors of the state at the same time and places appointed for the election of members of the legislature in the year nineteen hundred and two, and in every fourth year thereafter. |
Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 116
| The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, commissioner of agriculture and industries, elected after the ratification of this Constitution, shall hold their respective offices for the term of four years from the first Monday after the second Tuesday in January next succeeding their election, and until their successors shall be elected and qualified. |
Term limits
Per Amendment 282 to Article V, Section 116 of the Alabama Constitution, agriculture commissioners are limited to two terms in office.[1]
2022
General election
General election for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries
Incumbent Rick Pate defeated Jason Clark in the general election for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Rick Pate (R) | 84.9 | 946,155 |
 | Jason Clark (L) | 15.1 | 168,529 | |
| Total votes: 1,114,684 | |||
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Republican primary election
The Republican primary election was canceled. Incumbent Rick Pate advanced from the Republican primary for Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries.
Past elections
Vacancies
Article V, Section 136 of the Alabama Constitution requires the governor to appoint a replacement if the office of agriculture commissioner becomes vacant or if the incumbent "shall become of unsound mind." The replacement serves until the next scheduled election.[2]
Constitution of Alabama, Article V, Section 136
| Should the office of attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, or commissioner of agriculture and industries become vacant from any cause, the governor shall fill such vacancy until the disability is removed or a successor elected and qualified. In case any of said officers shall become of unsound mind, such unsoundness shall be ascertained by the supreme court upon the suggestion of the governor. |
Duties
According to Section 2-2-8 of the Code of Alabama, the commissioner's duties include:[3]
|
Divisions
The Department of Agriculture and Industries is divided into 18 divisions. These divisions may contain smaller subdivisions:[4]
- Executive Division
- Agriculture Compliance
- Animal Industries
- Audits & Reports
- Emergency Programs
- Farmers Market Authority
- Food Safety
- AFSIS: Alabama Federal-State Inspection Service
- Gins & Warehouses
- Legal
- Livestock Market News
- Mediation Program
- Pesticide Management
- Petroleum Commodities
- Plant Protection
- Seed Lab
- Veterinary Diagnostic Labs
- Weights & Measures
State budget
- See also: Alabama state budget and finances
The budget for the Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries' Office in Fiscal Year 2025 was $82,524,997.[5]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The commissioner's salary is fixed by law and paid from the Agricultural Fund of the treasury.[6] Alabama Constitution, Article V, Section 118 of the state constitution requires that changes in compensation take effect in the term after they were passed.
Alabama Constitution, Article V, Section 118
| The governor, lieutenant governor, attorney-general, state auditor, secretary of state, state treasurer, superintendent of education, and commissioner of agriculture and industries, shall receive compensation to be fixed by law, which shall not be increased or diminished during the term for which they shall have been elected, and shall, except the lieutenant governor, reside at the state capital during the time they continue in office, except during epidemics. |
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $103,348, according to the Council of State Governments.[7]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $98,088, according to the Council of State Governments.[8]
2021
In 2021, the commissioner received a salary of $96,855, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2020
In 2020, the commissioner received a salary of $71,380 according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2019
In 2019, the commissioner received a salary of $84,655 according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2018
In 2018, the commissioner received a salary of $84,655 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2017
In 2017, the commissioner received a salary of $84,655 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2016
In 2016, the commissioner received a salary of $84,655, according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2015
In 2015, the commissioner received a salary $84,655, according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2014
In 2014, the commissioner's salary remained at $84,655, according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2012
In 2012, the commissioner was paid an estimated $84,655, according to the Council of State Governments.
Historical officeholders
There have been 30 Alabama Commissioners of Agricutlure and Industry since 1883. Of the 30 officeholders, three were Republican and 27 were Democrat.[17]
| List of Former Officeholders from 1883-Present | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | Edward C. Betts | 1883-1887 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | Reuben Francis Kolb | 1887-1891 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Hector D. Lane | 1891-1896 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | Isaac F. Culver | 1896-1900 | Democratic
| ||
| 5 | Robert Ransom Poole | 1900-1907 | Democratic
| ||
| 6 | Joseph Absalom Wilkinson | 1907-1911 | Democratic
| ||
| 7 | Reuben Francis Kolb | 1911-1915 | Democratic
| ||
| 8 | James Aaron Wade | 1915-1919 | Democratic
| ||
| 9 | M.C. (Miles Clayton) Allgood | 1919-1923 | Democratic
| ||
| 10 | J.M. (James Monroe) Moore | 1923-1927 | Democratic
| ||
| 11 | S.M. (Samuel Murphy) Dunwoody | 1927-1929 | Democratic
| ||
| 12 | Seth Paddock Storrs | 1929-1935 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | R.J. (Robert James) Goode, Jr. | 1935-1939 | Democratic
| ||
| 14 | (John) Haygood Paterson | 1939-1943 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | Joseph N. Poole | 1943-1947 | Democratic
| ||
| 16 | (John) Haygood Paterson | 1947-1951 | Democratic
| ||
| 17 | Frank McLean Stewart | 1951-1955 | Democratic
| ||
| 18 | A.W. (Arvel Woodfin) Todd | 1955-1959 | Democratic
| ||
| 19 | R.C. (Robert Charles) "Red" Bambert, Jr. | 1959-1963 | Democratic
| ||
| 20 | A.W. (Arvel Woodfin) Todd | 1963-1967 | Democratic
| ||
| 21 | Richard Beard | 1967-1972 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | M.D. "Pete" Gilmer | 1972-1974 | Democratic
| ||
| 23 | McMillan Lane | 1974-1983 | Democratic
| ||
| 24 | Albert McDonald | 1983-1991 | Democratic
| ||
| 25 | A.W. (Arvel Woodfin) Todd | 1991-1995 | Democratic
| ||
| 26 | Jack Thompson | 1995-1999 |  Republican
| ||
| 27 | Charles Bishop | 1999-2003 | Democratic
| ||
| 28 | Ron Sparks | 2003-2011 | Democratic
| ||
| 29 | John McMillan | 2011-2019 | Republican
| ||
| 30 | Rick Pate | 2019-present | Republican
| ||
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Alabama Commissioner Agriculture Industries. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
Contact info
Physical address:
1445 Federal Drive
Montgomery, AL 36107
Phone: 334-240-7100
Fax: 334-240-7190
See also
| Alabama | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ Constitution of Alabama, "Amendment 282 to Section 116," accessed June 1, 2011
- ↑ Constitution of Alabama, "Article V, Section 136," accessed May 20, 2011
- ↑ Code of Alabama, "Section 2-2-8," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Department of Agriculture & Industries, "Divisions," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Alabama Department of Finance, "Act 2024-355," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Code of Alabama, "Section 2-2-5," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 5, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ Alabama Department of Archives and History, "Alabama Commissioners of Agriculture and Industries," accessed July 24, 2013
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