Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2026

	← 2022
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
Election details
	Filing deadline: December 8, 2025
	Primary: March 3, 2026; Primary runoff: May 26, 2026; General: November 3, 2026
How to vote
	Poll times: 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Voting in Texas
Ballotpedia analysis
	Federal and state primary competitiveness; State executive elections in 2026; Impact of term limits in 2026; State government trifectas; State government triplexes; Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2026
Texas; executive elections
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Texas is holding an election for agriculture commissioner on November 3, 2026. The primary was March 3, 2026, and a primary runoff is May 26, 2026. The filing deadline was December 8, 2025.

This page focuses on the general election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. For more in-depth information on the Republican primary, see the following page:

Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2026 (March 3 Republican primary)

Candidates and election results

General election

The candidate list in this election may not be complete.

General election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Clayton Tucker and Nate Sheets are running in the general election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on November 3, 2026.

		Candidate
		Clayton Tucker (D)
		Nate Sheets (R)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Clayton Tucker advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 3, 2026.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Clayton Tucker	100.0	1,921,851

	There were no incumbents in this race. Source 1 Source 2	Total votes: 1,921,851
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Nate Sheets defeated incumbent Sid Miller in the Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 3, 2026.

	Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Nate Sheets	52.7	1,032,285
	Sid Miller	47.3	925,263

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Source	Total votes: 1,957,548
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Green convention

Green convention for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Alfred Molison is running in the Green convention for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on April 11, 2026.

		Candidate
	Submit photo	Alfred Molison (G)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture

Austin Kelly is running in the Libertarian convention for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on April 12, 2026.

		Candidate
		Austin Kelly (L)

	There are no incumbents in this race.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

Clayton Tucker

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Submitted Biography: "Cattle/goat rancher from Lampasas, Secretary of the Texas Farmers Union, fair trade organizer, small business owner, sci fi author, and a Texas troublemaker fighting monopolies."

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

Make food and farming affordable again by busting the monopolies that have rigged the system.

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.

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.

Nate Sheets

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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. Miller hired his former political advisor as Chief of Staff of the agency AFTER he pled guilty to felony bribery tied to hemp licenses at TDA.. Key duties, like regulating fuel pumps, were stripped from the agency, and Miller was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for misusing state and campaign funds. As Agriculture Commissioner, my first act will be to audit the agency, cut waste, end cronyism, and make sure every dollar serves Texas farmers, ranchers, and consumers, not political insiders.

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. In its place, I would launch a cost-neutral Texas Agriculture Marketplace that connects farmers and ranchers directly to consumers, retailers, and institutional buyers. Producers would opt in voluntarily and pay a small transaction fee.

We face 2 connected challenges. 1) Agriculture is in serious trouble family farms are disappearing, costs are rising, and producers are earning less. 2) This is happening alongside a major health crisis where 75% of spending is on chronic disease caused by the food we eat and more than 77% of young Americans are disqualified from military service. Texas already spends billions on food for schools, hospitals, and state agencies, much of it flowing to multinational corporations for ultra-processed foods. I will work to redirect existing food dollars toward Texas-grown meat, fruits, & vegetables through smarter procurement. That predictable demand helps family operations stay on the land, creates rural jobs, & keeps food dollars in Texas.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

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Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Nate Sheets (R)

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. Miller hired his former political advisor as Chief of Staff of the agency AFTER he pled guilty to felony bribery tied to hemp licenses at TDA.. Key duties, like regulating fuel pumps, were stripped from the agency, and Miller was fined by the Texas Ethics Commission for misusing state and campaign funds. As Agriculture Commissioner, my first act will be to audit the agency, cut waste, end cronyism, and make sure every dollar serves Texas farmers, ranchers, and consumers, not political insiders.

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. In its place, I would launch a cost-neutral Texas Agriculture Marketplace that connects farmers and ranchers directly to consumers, retailers, and institutional buyers. Producers would opt in voluntarily and pay a small transaction fee.

We face 2 connected challenges. 1) Agriculture is in serious trouble family farms are disappearing, costs are rising, and producers are earning less. 2) This is happening alongside a major health crisis where 75% of spending is on chronic disease caused by the food we eat and more than 77% of young Americans are disqualified from military service. Texas already spends billions on food for schools, hospitals, and state agencies, much of it flowing to multinational corporations for ultra-processed foods. I will work to redirect existing food dollars toward Texas-grown meat, fruits, & vegetables through smarter procurement. That predictable demand helps family operations stay on the land, creates rural jobs, & keeps food dollars in Texas.

Clayton Tucker (D)

Make food and farming affordable again by busting the monopolies that have rigged the system.

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.

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.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Nate Sheets (R)

1) Fiscal Responsibility: DOGE / Audit agency to cut unnecessary taxes, fees, and regulations

2) MAHA the School lunch program: Prioritize Texas grown produce / meat instead of propping up woke ultra-processed food companies with Texas tax dollars. 3) Stop foreign ownership of farm land: We don't need our enemies in hostile foreign nations controlling the food supply

4) Biosecurity is border security: My opponent voted to give taxfunded benefits to illegal immigrants. He stated Mexico needed more say in Trump's border wall. And most recently, he dropped the ball on the Screwworm crisis threatening our beef supply. I will always stand for secure borders and a secure, safe food supply.

Clayton Tucker (D)

Farming, international trade, food health, etc.

What organizations or individuals have endorsed your campaign?

Nate Sheets (R)

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.

Voting information

See also: Voting in Texas

Election information in Texas: Nov. 3, 2026, election.

What is the voter registration deadline?

In-person: Oct. 5, 2026
By mail: Postmarked by Oct. 5, 2026
Online: N/A

Is absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

No

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

In-person: Oct. 23, 2026
By mail: Received by Oct. 23, 2026
Online: N/A

What is the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

In-person: Nov. 3, 2026
By mail: Postmarked by Nov. 3, 2026

Is early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What are the early voting start and end dates?

Oct. 19, 2026 to Oct. 30, 2026

Are all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, is a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When are polls open on Election Day?

7:00 a.m. - 7:00 p.m. (CT/MT)

Past elections

The section below details election results for this office in elections dating back to 2014.