Early Returns in Texas Agriculture Commissioner Race and Candidates' Farm Plans

Ask a Prepper looks at the Texas agriculture commissioner race, where Democrat Clayton Tucker, a Lampasas rancher, claimed a win on election night over Republican Nate Sheets, and why the office matters to rural producers.

Key points

• Early count: The outlet cited early Wednesday tallies showing Tucker at about 51% and Sheets at roughly 47%, with over 90% of the expected ballots counted. The Associated Press had yet to call it.
• History: The article notes that no Democrat has led the state agriculture department since Jim Hightower left office in 1991.
• The office: Citing The Texas Tribune, the piece says the department runs a $1.8 billion budget covering aid to farmers and rural hospitals, regulation of pesticides and hemp, and the school lunch program.
• Tucker's platform: The Texas Farmers Union secretary campaigned on keeping family farms, lowering food costs, opening industrial hemp to farmers, rebuilding co-ops and working with lawmakers to reduce data centers' effect on land and water.
• Sheets' platform: The Nature Nate's Honey founder and West Texas rancher said data center companies should pay into water and agriculture funds and lose preferential tax breaks, and called for lower farm transportation costs and required E-Verify for employment.

Quick take

Ask a Prepper says homesteaders and small producers should watch for changes to hemp rules, disaster relief, rural development grants and state support for local food sales once the new commissioner takes office in January.

Read the full story at Ask a Prepper.