How to run for office | width: 50%; Both their families have been in the state for generations, Hays since just after the Civil War and Millers since the 1700s. Commissioner She said these are still important issues that need to be addressed by state leaders. Sid Miller, former Dallas County Democratic chairwoman in race for Texas ag commissioner, (Photo courtesy of Hays Campaign / Courtesy of Hays Campaign), promotion of conspiracy theories, false stories and racist memes on social media. Susan Hays also discusses her ideas for sustainable agriculture. Meet the Republicans and Democrats vying for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in the Texas primary election March 1. The states agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout. $(".collapse-all").on('click', () => { As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. Patricks office wanted to ban smokable hemp. A few years ago, rural life was calling her home. When it comes to farming and ranching, the chief of the Texas Department of The agency is also responsible for helping rural hospitals with financial aid and technical assistance through its rural health division. The Democrat says she has a plan to address rural health care in Texas. A Chronicle investigation reveals the extent of the ballot paper shortage in Harris County's November election, including how the shortages could impact the future of Texas' election laws. Texas Agriculture Commissioner Election Results - New York Times Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? .widget-img { Texas agriculture commissioner I grew up in Brown County. This state is not prepared to deal with something like that because of the lack of enforcement mechanism. But a big part of this job is pulling down those federal dollars for economic development programs or health care. p.survey-response {white-space: pre-line;} font-style: italic; by Jayme Lozano Carver Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. In July, Miller announced he was in favor of legalizing medical marijuana, becoming the highest-ranking Texas Republican to endorse the measure. And when we say legalize, that doesnt necessarily mean hippies running wild in the streets, which I think is what a lot of haters might visualize. And yeah, the cannabis markets, like any new market, are very volatile. Texas is one of 12 Republican-controlled states that havent expanded coverage under the Affordable Care Act. } padding-left: 10px; But, you know, he wasnt much help. }, 100); vertical-align: top; Susan Hays, Democratic candidate for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. In his spare time, he is a recognized rodeo cowboy who holds 12 world championship titles. Who a person voted for is not public record. Even before that the smokable hemp issue. } Your opponent is an incumbent with a whole lot more name recognition. Obviously, the current agriculture commissioner, Sid Miller, is quite a character. In a phone interview, Miller said he has always been in favor of legalizing medical marijuana. Well, Ill start by saying Sid Miller needs to focus on his own job and quit throwing out red-meat sound bites. Because of letting a rural hospital program rot in the basement. Miller said a majority of Texans 4 in 5 are in favor of legalizing marijuana for compassionate purposes. But he does have the support of some high-profile figures on the national stage, including Donald Trump. .top_disclaimer { Agriculture commissioner is also on the ballot, with incumbent Sid Miller, a Trump-backed Republican, facing Democrat Susan Hays. How do you feel about that? background-color: red; Sid Miller, who was elected in 2014, is seeking a third term as agriculture commissioner. margin-top: 0px; Ballotpedia features 408,487 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. } And out there, theres three counties that share one hospital with 25 beds and only three ventilators. } Ill also say this about rural healthcare, having grown up in rural Texas, I know how important having a rural hospital is to the local economy. Susan Hays' career experience includes owning a law practice and working as a lawyer and farmer. } A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin | Contact us, A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, Rising values of adobe hit home in West Texans, Indigenous tribe renews yearslong fight to reclaim human remains from UT, Major leak hits Grand Theft Auto VI, sending stock in the games developer tumbling, Carmen Tafolla goes public with her love of art and artists, Security in place at San Antonios Migrant Resource Center in days after controversial DeSantis flight, H-E-B madness grips North Texas as first Metroplex store opens in Frisco, Texas Republicans push to end countywide voting. } Before he was elected in 2014, Miller served six terms in the Texas House. Federal courts | Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful). width: 100% background-color: #f9d334; The winner will serve a four-year term overseeing the Texas Department of Agriculture, which provides financial assistance to farmers, administers the federal free and reduced-lunch programs in schools and regulates hemp production. A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. .inner_percentage.Democratic { Its a national security issue. width: 100%; In 2019, she advocated for and helped craft the Texas law allowing any hemp product with less than 0.3% THC. She directly against the corruption surrounding the selling hemp licenses for absurd prices ($25,000 vs. the expected $100). Abbott criticized for dehumanizing victims of mass shooting by calling them illegal, Texas college baseball player shot during game, Man fatally shot by Dallas police wounded 2 relatives before shooting cop, dog, chief says, Stanley Cup playoff central: Stars-Kraken schedule, stories Dallas fans need to know, Hot List: 15 great bars and restaurants to visit in Dallas-Fort Worth in May 2023, Luxury North Dallas rental community sells to national investor, Forest Hill widow facing eviction for I-20 widening gets deadline extension, Lancaster lands $80 million cold storage project, Record D-FW hotel development could bring more than 30,000 rooms, JPMorgan steps up to buy First Republic after government seizure, How Dallas video game icon Randy Pitchford became the new owner of Hollywoods Magic Castle, American Airlines pilots authorize strike as carrier says a contract deal is near, Pete DeBoer says Stars have one key trait shared by championship-caliber teams, Cowboys 2023 undrafted free agent tracker: See which players Dallas added after NFL draft. font-size: 1.25em; Most recently, Hays has found herself practicing law in the cannabis industry she helped write and pass the Texas hemp legalization bill in 2019 and was named Texas first cannabis super lawyer by Thomson Reuters. Editorial: We recommend Susan Hays in Democratic primary for Agriculture Commissioner, Letter from the editor: Introducing our exclusive new newsletter, More Recommendations from Editorial Board. font-size: 1.2em; if (typeof $ != 'undefined') { .inner_percentage.CrossFiled { Click here to contact us for media inquiries, and please donate here to support our continued expansion. .external_links_table { width: auto !important; } For more than two decades, Republicans have held every statewide office. Doing more to help farmers instead of nickel and dime tax them to death, which is what Miller does. Its hard to do business with [TDA]. Check if youre registered to vote, Not always. Miller banked $48,000 during the same period. For Miller, it was De Leon, a town with less than 3,000 people. color: #6db24f;

   .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} Miller claimed there havent been many rural hospital closures during his tenure, citing that a majority go back to 2005  a decade before he became commissioner. 		margin-top: 16px; 	font-weight: bold; 	.inner_percentage.Green { The board is separate from the newsroom and other sections of the paper. Hays has about half that with $85,157. In recent days that speculation has solidified, with sources telling Texas Signal that by Jessica Montoya Coggins | Apr 26, 2023. So financially, theyre pretty sound, Miller said. State executives | None of them are credible.. But the governor has said he does not support legalizing the drug. 		position: absolute; Susan Hays ( Democratic Party) ran for election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. 	.race_header.green { So are we, thats why were fighting back against the right-wing lie machine. I mean, there are a lot of hemp farmers who feel that theyre sort of high and dry. 	} The Texas Attorney Generals office also opened 390 cases looking at potential electoral fraud from January 2020 to September 2022, but it only secured five election-related convictions during that period. Attorney Susan Hays filed to run as a Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner, taking on the current occupant Republican Sid Miller. border:1px solid #FFB81F; 	@media screen and (max-width: 350px) { 	clear: both; One is a former rodeo cowboy caught in controversy. He was first elected in 2014 and has since been able to stave off being unseated by both Democratic and Republican challengers. 	display: block; Which is the exact opposite of what an AG Commissioner ought to be doing. 	.race_footer { $('.showResponses').show(); The two towns have rich histories in farming and ranching. Texas agriculture commissioner ag commissioner | Hays loves being in a rural community now, but growing up, she was pulling off cow ticks and helping her brothers castrate calves and looking for a way out. U.S. President | Our medical cannabis program is comically rudimentary. Counties must count results from each polling location within 24 hours of the polls closing. 		max-width: 600px; 		overflow-y: hidden; And thats not fair to rural Texans. More recently, Miller was the special guest speaker at a screening of the debunked film 2000 Mules, which falsely claims there was significant voter fraud during the 2020 presidential election. .infobox { How to vote | So what would you like to see Texas do, and how would your role as agriculture commissioner fit in there? 		background-color: green; 	color: white; 		padding-bottom: 3px; 	} 	width: 150px; })     Instead, it means having a healthy regulatory regime that makes sure the products consumers can access are safe and accurately labeled. Source. Part of her campaign message is to continue that work by fully legalizing cannabis in the state. Susan will fight hard for us. Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. No one trusts the incumbent to do whats right for Texas. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy. Read about Susans campaign on her website. And the other reality we need to deal with is that cannabis products are already here. Hays and her husband bought land in Alpine, a small town framed by mile-high mountains and an hours car ride north of Big Bend National Park. Heres how the candidates line up on two key issues in the race: marijuana and rural health care. School districts | She also wants Texas to expand Medicaid, saying its asinine that the state leaves federal tax dollars on the floor by not. Paper ballots are also stored in locked boxes and must be preserved for at least 22 months after an election. Miller has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump and was once thought to be under consideration to be the U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary under the 45th president. County officials can begin counting early voting results, including mail-in ballots, on as early as the last day of early voting in large counties. Voters can check with their county election officials to see whether their vote was counted. The Editorial Board is made up of opinion journalists with wide-ranging expertise whose consensus opinions and endorsements represent the voice of the institution  defined as the board members, their editor and the publisher. Miller and Hays can both legitimately claim deep Texas roots, but from those roots grew two diametrically opposed politicians now running against each other for Texas agriculture commissioner. If youre an hour away from getting emergency care, youre more likely to die or be permanently disabled.. 		background-color: #db0000; Consider donating today to help us stay in this fight. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texans had been living under a de facto abortion ban for months. Dawn Buckingham and Jay Kleberg face off for Texas land co His two terms in office have drawn attention for his promotion of conspiracy theories, false stories and racist memes on social media, allegations of misuse of taxpayer money and, more recently, the indictment of a top aide on corruption charges. 	margin-bottom: 1px;  Are you tired of Texas Republicans pushing big lies and trying to steal your vote?  Take, for example, rural health care. 		padding-left: 0; Instances of alleged fraud have also in some cases turned out to be mistakes by elections administrators or voters, according to the center. The data is from our partner Decision Desk HQ, which gathers information from the Texas Secretary of States office and a representative sample of 50 counties to provide estimates as to how many votes are left to be counted and call winners. There were no incumbents in this race. WebSusan Hays defeated Ed Ireson in the Democratic primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. You have to only use approved varieties. 	.image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper { By not legalizing marijuana, she said the state is missing out on economic development opportunities and tax revenues that could be used for health care funding. var nTimer = setInterval(function() { Attorney Susan Hays filed to run as a Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner, taking on the current occupant Republican Sid Miller. Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. His opponent, Democrat Susan Hays, a former Dallas County Democratic Party chairwoman, has made Millers ethics baggage a central message of her campaign. 		.votebox { 	} An example from only a few years ago. A Conversation with Agriculture Commissioner Candidate Susan  Ive been a civil appellate lawyer for some years, and as I shifted my practice, I was named super lawyer in the cannabis category. I have a great working relationship with Senator Charles Perry. Theres been so many closures. Im running  |          		width: 100%; 		letter-spacing: .03em; 		vertical-align: top; District of Columbia (board of education), https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Susan_Hays&oldid=8769198, Texas Commissioner of Agriculture candidate, 2022, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. Susan Hays. So are we, thats why were fighting back against the right-wing lie machine. Its the deep frustration of watching whats happening to the state and watching the communities where I grew up and used to run around as a teenager, not do near as well as they should because of policy choices. They could not make it without that expanded patient base. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit statewide news organization dedicated to keeping Texans informed on politics and policy issues that impact their communities. Thats the Democrat campaign strategy, just to throw something out there, get people like you to report on it, whether its true or not, and get the headlines, Miller said. Susan Hays is called back to rural life This is the first time Hays is running for elected office, but shes no stranger to Texas politics. Millers challenger Susan Hays says another kind of outside influence has already tainted his office. 	} Adrian Billings is a family medicine physician with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he focuses on reviving rural health care.  Hays believes it could be a cash crop opportunity for farmers and a boost to the Texas economy. And its particularly awful given the crisis thats ongoing with our rural hospitals. 		height: 22px;  Republican Sid Miller has been reelected as Texas agriculture commissioner, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Hays on Tuesday night in a  This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. 		margin-top: 1em;   --title-background: #334aab; Incumbent Sid Miller  defeated James White and Carey Counsil in the  Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. The State Office of Rural Health is there and rural economic development. Do you value our journalism? We have a really great hemp bill, at least I like to think so because I helped write it. 	float: right; And nobody wants to throw them in jail for that. 	background-color: #f9f9f9; Disclosure: Texas Tech University and the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center have been financial supporters of The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. The topic of rural health care has been one of Hays main talking points throughout her campaign. 	 Miller opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Texas. Well, it seems like the biggest issue that you were running on, and correct me if Im mistaken here, is rural development. 		left: 0px; We were impressed with Ireson, 34, a businessman with family ties to the cattle industry in Brazos County. We respect each other, and we can sit down and have a conversation. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Susan Hays, Democratic candidate for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. When asked about spreading fabricated photos or supporting stories on social media, Miller said he doesnt personally post everything to his accounts and that his team takes posts down most of the time when they find out theyre false. 		width: 35px !important; 			} 	width: 43%; Voters can still cast votes without those IDs if they sign a form swearing that they have a reasonable impediment from obtaining a proper photo ID or use a provisional ballot. } GOP leaders say ballot shortage was targeted at Republicans. Dan Patrick has been very adamant against marijuana legalization.  Counties | Sid Miller, former Dallas County Democratic chairwoman in race  2023 Texas Standard. $('#candidate-connection-twitter-105181').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-twitter'); }); 		letter-spacing: .04em; She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. Two Democrats, Hays and Ed Ireson, are running to put an end to Millers bumbling reign. Hays campaign issues include rural economic development, expanded health care, marijuana legalization and fighting corruption. Miller, 67, had a strong show of support across rural Texas, while Hays, 53, had the backing of a few urban counties.