} 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. However, the Republican incumbent has a cash-on-hand advantage, with $168,777 in the bank. And the other reality we need to deal with is that cannabis products are already here. And thats already happening in Texas. } Sid Miller, 66, has twice been investigated by the Texas Rangers, given hundreds of thousands in bonuses to employees, taken taxpayer-funded out-of-state excursions and pushed more fees on farmers and businesses. | Shes worked as an attorney and a lobbyist. I spent the pandemic in a county that shares a hospital with two other counties with 25 hospital beds and three ventilators, Hays said. It also hit the hemp crop. So it is absolutely the job of the AG Commissioner to look for new economic models for agriculture and promote them. display: inline-block; I am truly humbled, Miller said on Twitter on Tuesday night. Agriculture commissioner is also on the ballot, with incumbent Sid Miller, a Trump-backed Republican, facing Democrat Susan Hays. by Jayme Lozano Carver } Our commitment to ethical, fact-based journalism is vital to our democracy, and we cant do it without you. Part of her campaign message is to continue that work by fully legalizing cannabis in the state. But the Democrat wants the public to know the position is also responsible for rural health care in Texas, and she says she has a plan to save it. U.S. President | .inner_percentage.Libertarian { Few people know it, but this office has a rural hospital component and a rural economic development component, and they are rotting in the basement. }. (function() { Hays believes it could be a cash crop opportunity for farmers and a boost to the Texas economy. display: block; .widget-row.value-only { For federal, district and state elections, Voting machines and software are certified by the U.S. Election Assistance Commission and. Notifications can be turned off anytime in the browser settings. As the Features and Opinion Editor, she is responsible for coordinating editorials and segments from diverse authors. But, you know, he wasnt much help. padding-left: 10px; SAN ANTONIO - Susan Hays is a Democrat candidate Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Well, I mean, I wouldnt ask that question on the nose. In a recent Dallas Morning News-University of Texas at Tyler poll, 67% said they would support legalization to help treat illnesses. And nobody wants to throw them in jail for that. }) color: #888; .widget-row.Independent, .widget-row.Nonpartisan, .widget-row.Constitution { Hays has more than doubled Millers fundraising efforts, reporting more than $111,500 to his $48,000, according to Oct. 11 campaign finance reports. height: 50px; Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news. background-color: #dac113; .key-messages li {margin-bottom: 10px;} .votebox_legend .non_result_row { Aside from Millers corruption, when you have a leader thats disengaged, its hard to get things done. } 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. width: 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: .9em; They have two sons, two daughters-in-law and five grandchildren. What does that title mean? 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. For more than two decades, Republicans have held every statewide office. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy, Hays said Thursday as she announced her campaign against the scandal-prone Miller. Youll want to check for open polling locations with your local elections office before you head out to vote. background: #4c4c4c;

. display: inline-block; This transcript has been edited lightly for clarity: Texas Standard: Youre a Democrat running in a largely conservative state. .results_row td { Government can be used to help people make money. DALLAS Attorney Susan Hays says she knows the marijuana issue is garnering most of the headlines in her race for Texas agriculture commissioner. height: 22px; A longtime writer and journalist, Jessica was thrilled to join the Texas Signal where she could utilize her unique perspective on politics and culture. display: inline-block; max-width: 600px; Sunday vigil, expanded manhunt and more on Cleveland shooting, Shooting survivors: San Jacinto family only sought small favor, Abbott calls Texas shooting victims illegal immigrants', FBI briefly releases photo of wrong Francisco Oropeza, Houston nurses sentenced to federal prison over Medicare scheme, 5 found shot 'execution style' in home in San Jacinto County, Texas shooting: Suspected shooter possibly spotted, sheriff says, Some Galveston County residents 'fed up' with property appraisals, MLB Network's Mark DeRosa hilariously apologizes to Astros, already appeared on the Mark Davis radio show, Editorial: Why we still recommend candidates, We recommend Troy Nehls in GOP primary for the 22nd Congressional District, We recommend Alma Allen in Democratic primary for Texas House District 131, We recommend Susan Hays in Democratic primary for Agriculture Commissioner, We recommend Jack Morman in GOP primary for Harris County Commissioner, Precinct 2, Who made the Texas Ag Department the fashion police? The job of this office is to maximize that. AUSTIN The race for Texas Agriculture Commissioner has focused less on the positions responsibilities and more on the controversies involving the Republican incumbent throughout his almost eight years in office. } You can access the tracker here. margin: 8px auto; Paper ballots are also stored in locked boxes and must be preserved for at least 22 months after an election. Instead of just throwing out press releases, attacking groups of peoples, or mimicking national red-meat politics. .votebox_legend { Biography Susan Susan Hays. 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. Ireson said hell prioritize updating the agriculture departments technology so staff members can better engage with Texans. Miller cut ties with Smith but said his arrest was politically motivated. But since 2015, 16 rural hospitals have closed, according to TORCH. $('#candidate-connection-email-105181').on('click', () => { ga('send', 'event', 'surveycta', 'surveycta-click-email'); }); 2023 Texas Standard. Additionally, you can, County election offices are supposed to post on. Republican primary election Republican primary for Since 2010, there have been 27 rural hospitals that have closed in 22 communities, according to the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH). float: right; 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. a[aria-expanded=false] .fa-chevron-down { display: none; } .votebox-scroll-container { font-weight: bold; } .top_disclaimer { He points to the work the department did with distilleries during the COVID-19 pandemic to provide sanitizer and other resources. You have to tell them what varieties youre growing. Patricks office wanted to ban smokable hemp. .inner_percentage { .results_row td:first-child { We think Hays is the best choice for Democratic voters. The audit is ongoing, but an initial report found few discrepancies between manual and electronic counts. Meet the Republicans and Democrats vying for Texas Agriculture Commissioner in the Texas primary election March 1. overflow-y: auto; As for the marijuana issue, Hays differs from her opponent, Republican incumbent Sid Miller, in that she wants to legalize marijuana, while Miller is only advocating expanding access to medical marijuana. z-index:1; Well, I grew up in rural Texas. There were no incumbents in this race. 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. font-style: italic; Counties must count results from each polling location within 24 hours of the polls closing. 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. Miller opposes legalizing marijuana for recreational use in Texas. margin-bottom:0px; Voting for this election ended March 1, 2022. .widget-img { The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit statewide news organization dedicated to keeping Texans informed on politics and policy issues that impact their communities. width: 57%; She was also instrumental in advocating and drafting the 2019 Texas hemp law. .race_header.green { } Millers challenger Susan Hays says another kind of outside influence has already tainted his office. Meanwhile, another 4 million Texans struggle with hunger and food scarcity because of inflation. We were impressed with Ireson, 34, a businessman with family ties to the cattle industry in Brazos County. font-weight: bold; Well, it seems like the biggest issue that you were running on, and correct me if Im mistaken here, is rural development. The topic of rural health care has been one of Hays main talking points throughout her campaign. Failure to expand Medicaid is a great example of Republican policies that are terrible for rural Texans. width: 100% !important; 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. margin-right: 12px; Attorney Susan Hays filed to run as a Democratic candidate for agriculture commissioner, taking on the current occupant Republican Sid Miller. .results_table_container { .contact_entity {font-size: 1.0em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em; margin-right: 0.5em;} width: 35px !important; Hemp is very climate sensitive and also photo sensitive. Adrian Billings is a family medicine physician with Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, where he focuses on reviving rural health care. width: 250px; In 2020, she represented Harris County in several cases as the county worked to figure out voting in the pandemic against a backdrop of furious opposition from state officials. Texas has to deal with the issue, get ahead of the problems, or were going to have a hot mess, much like California did when they failed to effectively regulate their cannabis markets, Hays said. background-color: #6db24f; Miller also sees the rural health care landscape differently. background-color: #f9f9f9; font-weight: bold; I could lose everything: Dallas drag performers say Texas bills could impact their jobs, Facebook users can now apply for a portion of a $725 million settlement. background-color: #db0000; If you look at survival rates from traumatic accidents or heart attacks, you know its the first hour that matters, Hays said. margin-bottom: 0px; display: table; They could not make it without that expanded patient base. display: inline-block; [1][2], .votebox { p.survey-response {margin-left:10px;} background-color: #db0000; Her political ideologies are driven by her lessons in vacation Bible school and growing up around politicians whom she considered good examples for public service. The two towns have rich histories in farming and ranching. Updated: 10 AM Central. margin: auto; Troy Nehls strange spat with Capitol Police and more, listen in the audio player above. } Source. AUSTIN, Texas When Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller called for expanding medical marijuana use in Texas, his Democratic opponent was quick to question his timing. One of her slogans is Farming is hard. My husband and I are now out in Brewster County and a lot of counties like Brewster, there are only one, maybe two, health insurance providers and they get to dictate the terms and that is not fair to rural Texans, said the Democrat. by Vanessa Fuentes & Jalen McKee-Rodriguez | May 1, 2023. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy., 2023 KCDP. Financial supporters play no role in the Tribunes journalism. Today For press releases, tips, and pitches, email editor@texassignal.com. The winner of this election will lead the state agriculture department that juggles several tasks. text-align: center; On top of that, in this growing season, we had the drought and that devastated the cotton crop. border-bottom: 1px solid grey; Please, Texas Agriculture Commissioner election, 2022. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. background-color: #ccc; And its not as easy to grow it and grow it well as people might think. But he does have the support of some high-profile figures on the national stage, including Donald Trump. a.communitylink { color:black; font-weight:bold; } background-color: green; background-color: #003388; And she wants to pay farmers for putting carbon back into the soil to combat climate change, which can be done through methods like cover crops or conservation tilling.

   .contact_entity {font-size: 1.5em ;margin-top: 0.6em; margin-bottom: 0em;margin-right: 0.5em;} font-size: .9em; Ballot measures, Who represents me?  One thing Ive seen by studying cannabis policy in other states, when the government gets behind the market, bad things happen. It does not allow people access who deserve it and need it. 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.      And I also enjoy getting my boots dirty and getting out there.. Politics is the art of the possible. Before Roe v. Wade was overturned, Texans had been living under a de facto abortion ban for months. And if you look at polling data, medical [marijuana] is almost perfectly bipartisan and its high support. Contact our sales team. 		background-color: grey; Its estimated that Texas would receive $6.3 billion annually, and coverage would be expanded to include 1 million enrollees. At the top of Millers list is stopping China from buying farmland in the U.S. And Miller does want to expand and fully implement medical cannabis use. Farming is hard, but ethics should be easy, Susan Hays has said often on  Aside from trying to help make sure there are more rural health care facilities, she said she would also push for the Republican-controlled Legislature to pass a bill expanding Medicaid in the state under the Affordable Care Act. She also plans to push for increased fiscal support for farmers markets and expand a partnership with Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to educate young Texans about agriculture and nutrition. Ethics should be easy.. 		margin-top: 0px; Ive been a civil appellate lawyer for some years, and as I shifted my practice, I was named super lawyer in the cannabis category. So a big reason I wanted to run was to take those programs out of the basement, beef them up, and work night and day to try to save rural health care in Texas. Miller touts a list of accomplishments over his two terms in office, such as the Farm Fresh program, a farm-to-school initiative that saw schools purchase $65 million worth of fresh food, and Operation Maverick, which investigated more than 7,000 businesses operating with illegal scales. But some of Millers political actions have caught the publics attention, and not in a good way. Hospitals are failing all over Texas. .large-date { text-align: center; margin-top: 30px; margin-bottom: 20px; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 600;} } Hays promotes practices that could help farmers boost their crop growth even with Texas changing climate. } Candidates for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, incumbent Sid Miller (R) and Susan Hays (D) In the coming November election for Texas Governor, Lt. State and local courts |  } They want better for Texas, but paint different pictures of what that is. Im a policy wonk and smart enough to figure out how to get things done the right way, Hays said. 				max-height: 580px; Now youre going out there saying, I believe in rural Texas, I want to legalize marijuana. Hays conceded Wednesday morning in a statement in which she thanked voters for their support. 		padding-bottom: 0px; We have the science on what it helps and what it doesnt., Legalizing medical marijuana would still depend largely on the Republican leadership in Texas  Abbott, Lt. Gov. 	background-color: green; Superintendent openings: Which ones are open or filled in North Texas? .widget-row.heading { 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. 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. Hays said she would continue to advocate for those priorities in the future. 	vertical-align: top; With his signature cowboy hat and pressed blue jeans, Miller, 67, is the old-school image of a Texas cowboy. A few years ago, rural life was calling her home. But Hays still has odds stacked against her: A Democrat has not won a statewide election in Texas in almost 25 years.  	margin-bottom: 0; Luckily, in every corner of our state, people are ready to move beyond Could this be the week? Anecdotally and personally, one of the things that would infuriate me is I would email them a question about the program, and I get thats its a first rodeo and theres a lot of details you dont think of until you get there, and thats happened in every other state as a hemp program has rolled out. 		font-size: 2em; This includes Millers reputation for making offensive remarks about immigrants, spreading falsehoods on social media, and the indictment of his longtime political consultant on charges of theft and bribery in exchange for state hemp licenses. She lost in the general election on November 8, 2022. 	} People arent afraid of it anymore. Two Democrats, Hays and Ed Ireson, are running to put an end to Millers bumbling reign. Why does this factor so largely in your campaign? Both candidates have high-profile endorsements  three former Texas Supreme Court justices, all Republican, have endorsed Hays, while Miller has former president Donald Trumps endorsement. The board is separate from the newsroom and other sections of the paper. 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. We can produce a crop of very, very high quality, but we have to continue to use all the platforms we have to promote that, Bessent explained. Im running for Agriculture Commissioner because corruption is bad for business. The Democrat says she has a plan to address rural health care in Texas. DALLAS  Attorney Susan Hays says she knows the marijuana issue is garnering most of the headlines in her race for Texas agriculture commissioner. Jessica attended Harvard College, is a onetime fitness blogger, and has now transitioned to recreational runner (for which her joints are thankful). 	.votebox_bp_logo { And its particularly awful given the crisis thats ongoing with our rural hospitals. And at the time we really needed some better regulations out of USDA. The fight to expand Medicaid, save rural hospitals, and create a thriving rural economy, isnt. 	 For Hays, it was Brownwood, a one-high-school town. 		} In 2019, she advocated for and helped craft the Texas law allowing any hemp product with less than 0.3% THC. A coalition of voting rights groups is also helping voters navigate election concerns through the 866-OUR-VOTE (687-8683) voter-protection helpline. The agency is also responsible for helping rural hospitals with financial aid and technical assistance through its rural health division. 	width: 250px; And weve got some work to do there.. 	}  Agriculture commissioner is also on the ballot, with incumbent Sid Miller, a Trump-backed Republican, facing Democrat Susan Hays. The gap in access is only getting wider, she said. When pressed on how to get to the root of the problem, Miller said there wasnt much to do. Miller banked $48,000 during the same period. p.survey-question {font-weight:bold;} Hays, a longtime rancher and equal rights lawyer, campaigned on a platform of rebuilding rural communities, sustainable agriculture and legalizing cannabis. Incumbents are bolded and underlined. } 	color: white; .widget-row.value-only.white { Texas Agriculture Commissioner Election Results 2022: Sid Miller Defeats Susan Hays - The New York Times Advertisement Senate House Uncalled House Races  Then in mid-January, his longtime political consultant, Todd Smith, was indicted on theft and bribery charges related to selling access to hemp licenses from Millers agency. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. $('.hideResponses').show(); 	} EVALI was the acronym for the condition that people developed. 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. 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. About eighty percent of the budget of that agency is school lunch for people with disabilities and people with food security. And thats not fair to rural Texans. 		left: 0px; Instead, it means having a healthy regulatory regime that makes sure the products consumers can access are safe and accurately labeled. We have a really great hemp bill, at least I like to think so because I helped write it. $('.pastResponses').show(); One of the problems of getting into hemp, the varieties of hemp that are for sale arent predictable. Not always. 	.inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { I have a great working relationship with Senator Charles Perry. 	background-color: grey; 		color:white;          Show us with your support.  	} U.S. Congress | 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. [The Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA)] collects data on varieties.  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. His support for cannabis legalization ends with compassionate use., When asked about full legalization, Miller adamantly said, Im not for that.. Miller said a majority of Texans  4 in 5  are in favor of legalizing marijuana for compassionate purposes. As part of working on that hemp bill, I saw up close and personal just how dysfunctional the ag department is, Hays told us. 	color: white; In his spare time, he is a recognized rodeo cowboy who holds 12 world championship titles. Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Source. 	.non_result_row { 	} .hideResponses { display: none;} But Hays doesnt.  		display: inline; })(); See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection. Their visions of government, and its responsibilities, are worlds apart. indictment of a top aide on corruption charges. This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity. RELATED: A conversation with incumbent ag commissioner Republican, Sid Miller. To help people live better lives. GOP leaders say ballot shortage was targeted at Republicans. All contents licensed under the, Progressive Views: Commerce Department and the CHIPS Act, Progressive Views: Democrats: Contributing to Our Local Community, Progressive Views: Climate Change: Part 3, Progressive Views: The State of the Union is Strong, Guest Column: Christian Values drive local GOP, 216 E. Blanco, Suite 201, Boerne TX 78006, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Int'l License. } Susan Hays (Democratic Party)  ran for election for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. $('.collapse').collapse('show'); 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. 		overflow: hidden; 	} He and his wife, Debra, have been married for going on 45 years. Perhaps it goes without saying  but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. 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 you voted through a provisional ballot because of an administrative issue or photo ID problem, you should receive a notice by mail letting you know if your ballot was counted by Dec. 2. Our Ag Commissioner and his political operatives apparently missed those lessons, Hays said in the news release. .widget-key { Is there anything else that youd like to say about why youre running? background-color: white; Not looking for ways for small farmers or even medium-sized operations to do well in agriculture. That data could be analyzed in a way that would make it really helpful to farmers. Sid Miller, who was elected in 2014, is seeking a third term as agriculture commissioner. Ireson is running a campaign with a welcome and detailed focus on strengthening the states school meals program. 		margin-top: 1em; .widget-row.Green { It sounds like maybe the Legislature would be more of a fit, if youre talking about the kind of sweeping changes youre suggesting. Additionally, you can confirm with your county elections office whether election day voting is restricted to locations in your designated precinct or if you can cast a ballot at any polling place. 

height: 56px; .widget-row.Republican { What influenced your decision to take on Sid Miller? the governor has said he does not support legalizing the drug, Beto ORourke, the Democratic nominee for governor, Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH), Gov. The arrest didnt seem to affect the outcome of the primary, which Miller won with more than 58% of the vote. 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.