Sid Miller claims outright victory in Republican primary for agriculture commissioner The two-term Republican will face Democrat Susan Hays, assuming his lead holds in the Republican primary. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. Like Millers past opponents, Hays pointed to a list of controversies that include the indictment of his longtime political consultant on charges of theft and bribery in exchange for state hemp licenses. He served in the Texas House of Representatives from 2001-13. max-width: 600px; County election offices are supposed to post on their websites information on polling locations for Election Day and during the early-voting period by Oct. 18. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. No one trusts the incumbent to do whats right for Texas. Theres been so many closures. z-index:1; So I went to hearings, got to know some of the staff, and it was just a hot mess. Hays said she would continue to advocate for those priorities in the future. font-weight: 200; How to run for office | And what I think folks who may be anti-cannabis dont understand is unless you have a good regulatory regime, the black markets flood you. padding-top: 8px; color:white; They could not make it without that expanded patient base. Get the latest. There are a lot of farmers in Texas, family farms that go back generations, and there are a lot of farmers sitting at dinner tables late at night going through the bills, and they just dont see how they can stay in business. Aside from Millers corruption, when you have a leader thats disengaged, its hard to get things done. .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} Republican Sid Miller has been reelected as Texas agriculture commissioner, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Hays on Tuesday night in a Counties must count results from each polling location within 24 hours of the polls closing. width: 100%; Hays believes it could be a cash crop opportunity for farmers and a boost to the Texas economy. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy., 2023 KCDP. But, you know, he wasnt much help. Instead of just throwing out press releases, attacking groups of peoples, or mimicking national red-meat politics. text-align: left; .votebox-results-metadata { Find yours here. width: 43%; As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. U.S. Congress | } @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { During the most recent campaign fundraising period, July 1 through Sept. 30, Hays raised $115,505. For months rumors have swirled that Congressman Colin Allred is considering a challenge to Senator Ted Cruz in 2024. And yeah, the cannabis markets, like any new market, are very volatile.
} Not only are you campaigning in rural Texas, which has a history of being rather socially conservative and politically conservative, too. Id like to see more of that happening and to try and bridge this gap of urban and rural health care disparities.. And that means focusing on your job and engaging on analyzing how to do that effectively, and then actually doing it. The Sunset Commission said were the best state agency theyve ever reviewed, so I think that says a lot about what weve done and what type of people we have with the TDA, Miller said. Throughout her legal career, Hays worked at the Texas Legislature and the Texas Supreme Court, and co-founded Janes Due Process, a legal services nonprofit for pregnant minors. } During this election cycle, high-ranking Texas Republicans were privately undermining Miller, too. Source. padding-left: 16px; And at the time we really needed some better regulations out of USDA. Find your county website here. } padding:7px 8px 8px; } 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. And its not because we want giveaways to farmers farmers arent the type to take them. You can access the tracker here. } Susan grew up in rural Texas in the middle of ranching and hunting country. If you look at survival rates from traumatic accidents or heart attacks, you know its the first hour that matters, Hays said. Susan Hays. Race for Texas agriculture commissioner: Republican incumbent Sid Miller, Legalizing marijuana is a hot issue in the race for Texas agriculture commissioner, Hemp has been legal in Texas for three years. Please, Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2022. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. Theres a lot of buzz about legalizing and decriminalizing, but not a lot of thoughtfulness on the part of the state of Texas on developing really well-thought-out cannabis policy. U.S. President | Attorney Susan Hays filed to run as a Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner, taking on the current occupant Republican Sid Miller. .results_row.winner { } display: inline-block; (Opinion), Israeli-Palestinian progress means mutual recognition (Opinion), Huffines: Lege property tax cut proposals are Band-Aid solutions, Ten Commandments don't belong in Texas public schools (Opinion). The State Office of Rural Health is there and rural economic development. .widget-row.value-only.white { On the legalization piece of it, were now seeing poll numbers come out that more than fifty percent of Republican voters want it legalized. Both candidates displayed humor, a solid understanding of the job, and maturity levels that seemed to far exceed the incumbents. background-color: #f9f9f9; The two towns have rich histories in farming and ranching. font-weight: bold; Republican primary election Republican primary for padding-left: 10px; Both found success, Hays as a lawyer fighting for human rights and Miller as a national award-winning rodeo cowboy. Incumbent Sid Miller defeated James White and Carey Counsil in the Republican primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. Home Tag Susan Hays | The Texan The 88th Session Kickoff Event Join The Texan reporters in Austin on Jan. 24, 2023 as they moderate panels of lawmakers discussing the issues and priorities of the 88th Legislative Session! And the other reality we need to deal with is that cannabis products are already here. And the fact that we havent expanded Medicaid. } .non_result_row div { font-weight: 300; Hays has more than doubled Millers fundraising efforts, reporting more than $111,500 to his $48,000, according to Oct. 11 campaign finance reports. A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. width: 50px; My reaction to they want to ban smokable hemp, was dont you know you can smoke as it grows out of the ground? In my practice, Ive found middle ground with Republicans and its possible to do. State legislature | Her law practice took her to advising cannabis producers and businesses, and pushing Texas to open the door to this high-value crop with the hemp program. font-size: .9em; text-align: center; position: relative; Updated: 10 AM Central. } Government can be used to help people make money. color: black; Politics is the art of the possible. width: 100%; The man behind Mattress Mack: salesman, gambler introvert? RELATED: A conversation with incumbent ag commissioner Republican, Sid Miller. Greg Abbott signed a bill that allowed patients under the Texas Compassionate Use Program to access cannabis with up to 1% THC, which is twice the current limit. The consequences of that ban were on full display in the U.S. Senate when Amanda Zurawski testified about her harrowing ordeal that should never have happened. Its a food security issue. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. 2023 Texas Standard. display: inline-block; And what I fear right now is that as the market gets further and further ahead of the government, its going to be harder to put some of the genies back in the bottle.. Hays, 53, grew up in Brownwood, about two hours west of Waco, and lives in Alpine, where she and her husband purchased land several years ago to grow hemp and hops. Susan Hays also discusses her ideas for sustainable agriculture. .results_table_container { The results have been certified. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Election day is Nov. 8. And I know that legalizing cannabis is a major plank of yours. Nor does Beto ORourke, the Democratic nominee for governor. by Jayme Lozano Carver The states agriculture commissioner oversees a vast portfolio including farming and ranching, rural health care and the scales you use at grocery store checkout. top: 0px; Dan Patrick has been very adamant against marijuana legalization. height: 100%; It also hit the hemp crop. Source. Republican Sid Miller has been reelected as Texas agriculture commissioner, defeating Democratic candidate Susan Hays on Tuesday night in a heated race. width: 150px; .widget-row.heading { We have a really great hemp bill, at least I like to think so because I helped write it. Ireson is running a campaign with a welcome and detailed focus on strengthening the states school meals program. In a recent Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll, 67% said they would support legalization to help treat illnesses. max-height: 580px; Our medical cannabis program is comically rudimentary. .inner_percentage.Green { font-weight: bold; Well, Ill start by saying Sid Miller needs to focus on his own job and quit throwing out red-meat sound bites. Hes late to the party, and Texas is already behind the times, said Susan Hays during an interview on Capital Tonight. So are we, thats why were fighting back against the right-wing lie machine. } As part of working on that hemp bill, I saw up close and personal just how dysfunctional the ag department is, Hays told us. The Democrat says she has a plan to address rural health care in Texas. And I watched that hospital stumble and not do well because of the economics of it. I would love to see more of an investment financially, as well as with time and resources. Patricks office wanted to ban smokable hemp. Those counts are added in increments to the tally, which is then updated online. 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. .race_header.democratic { Every Texan deserves to feel and be safe. Youll need one of seven types of valid photo ID to vote in Texas: A state drivers license, a Texas election identification certificate, a Texas personal identification card, a Texas license to carry a handgun, a U.S. military ID card with a personal photo, a U.S. citizenship certificate with a personal photo or a U.S. passport. .results_row td:first-child { DALLAS Attorney Susan Hays says she knows the marijuana issue is garnering most of the headlines in her race for Texas agriculture commissioner. WebSusan Hays defeated Ed Ireson in the Democratic primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. font-size: 0.9em; Securing a third term with strong support across rural Texas, the Republican pledged to expand medical use of cannabis and funding for rural health care. You describe yourself as the first cannabis super lawyer. 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. .votebox_legend { a.communitylink { color:black; font-weight:bold; } display: block; .large-date { text-align: center; margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;} If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Several studies, reports and courts have found that voter fraud is relatively rare, according to the Brennan Center for Justice, a nonpartisan law and policy institute. Voting machines and software are certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and the Texas Secretary of State. How to vote | Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad But what do you expect from a guy when one of his first acts when he became AG Commissioner was to promote junk food in public schools? .percentage_number { That happened because black market vapes with adulterants hit the market and it burned peoples lungs out. Doing more to help farmers instead of nickel and dime tax them to death, which is what Miller does. He used taxpayer money to take two out-of-state trips one involved getting a Jesus Shot medical injection in Oklahoma, the other competing in a Mississippi Rodeo Show. background-color: green; A few years ago, rural life was calling her home. His opponents James White on the Republican side and Susan Hays on the Democratic side are saying, Hey, hes your 30-year, longtime political consultant. Weve got to do it to save what hospitals are left, Hays told Inside Texas Politics. Texas requires counties that use electronic machines to count votes to conduct a partial manual audit after the election. }, 100); letter-spacing: .03em; display: block; width: 350px; Read more about election safeguards here. The fight to expand Medicaid, save rural hospitals, and create a thriving rural economy, isnt. font-weight: bold; Biography Susan Get the latest politics news from North Texas and beyond. And not just traditional criminal black market, but PTA moms from Dallas come from Colorado with products. $(".expand-all").on('click', () => { What does that title mean? vertical-align: middle; But since 2015, 16 rural hospitals have closed, according to TORCH. 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 winner of this election will lead the state agriculture department that juggles several tasks. Now youre going out there saying, I believe in rural Texas, I want to legalize marijuana. .election_results_text { padding-top: 3px; But he does have the support of some high-profile figures on the national stage, including Donald Trump. } Hes proven himself to not be trustworthy.. margin-top: 1px; You look at maps of where theres medical cannabis and Texas usually is counted as not having a program at all, because its such a joke. display: inline-block; .widget-img { I spent the pandemic in a county that shares a hospital with two other counties with 25 hospital beds and three ventilators, Hays said. Hays has an extensive legal background, including as a cannabis attorney. } 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. } Throughout her legal career, How would you approach leading this organization as opposed to how he does it? Hays, a longtime rancher and equal rights lawyer, campaigned on a platform of rebuilding rural communities, sustainable agriculture and legalizing cannabis. EVALI was the acronym for the condition that people developed. $('.showResponses').on('click', () => { Millers ethics problems began soon after he took office in 2015. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dade Phelan. Here's what the data says. In an interview with The News editorial board, Hays cited her experience as a cannabis lawyer as the reason she can help Texas better regulate the drug. Susan Hays defeated Ed Ireson in the Democratic primary for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture on March 1, 2022. Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller onstage on the final day of the Texas Republican Convention in San Antonio on June 16, 2018. There were no incumbents in this race. In the face of historic crop losses from the drought, Miller, who has acknowledged humans have contributed to climate change, said producers will be turning to crop insurance. I would get three different answers from three different people. } Take, for example, rural health care. .results_table { color: #fff; Aarn is an Austin native who previously covered local government for The Kansas City Star and high school sports for the Knoxville News Sentinel. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text {
And yet, you think about, well, what about the ag department? LUBBOCK A mere 44 miles, a flyspeck on the map, separates the Central Texas towns where Sid Miller and Susan Hays grew up. She said a top priority is to address the rural hospital shortage by revitalizing agriculture programs now rotting in the basement that can boost rural economic development and rural hospitals. } } Humanities (1992); Georgetown Univ. color: white; Im running width: 57%; Dawn Buckingham and Jay Kleberg face off for Texas land co 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. Susan Hays ( Democratic Party) ran for election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Cities | padding-left: 8px; Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texans had been living under a de facto abortion ban for months. font-weight: 100; This years election cycle saw low turnout for early voting compared with 2020 and 2018, and more people waited to vote on Election Day this year. } Were way behind where the marketplace is. margin: auto; vertical-align: top; font-size: 16px; margin-top: 16px; Democratic challenger Susan Hays, left, will face Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller in November. Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. LUBBOCK A mere 44 miles, a flyspeck on the map, separates the Central Texas towns where Sid Miller and Susan Hays grew up. .race_footer { The commission, which reviews state agencies and programs for efficiency, did note that the department's day-to-day responsibilities are largely removed from the politics and public attention focused on the commissioner..Brett Climo Wife Michelle Louis,
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