An opinion editorial by Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller.
Pornography addiction. Alcohol addiction. A sexual relationship with a subordinate that ended his ministry career.
Not political rumors. Not opposition research. Nate Sheets’ own public admissions.
Now Sheets wants to lead the Texas Department of Agriculture—overseeing school nutrition programs serving millions of children, protecting our food supply, and defending Texas farmers, ranchers, and consumers.
I have serious questions about his judgment. Every Texan should. I believe in forgiveness and redemption.
But forgiveness isn’t a qualification for public office, redemption isn’t a substitute for accountability, and political ambition doesn’t automatically earn the public’s trust.
A snake may shed its skin, but it’s still a snake. Texas Agriculture Commissioner is a position of public trust, not a personal redemption award.
Nate Sheets has some explaining to do.
Texas faces enormous threats: massive data centers devouring our water and farmland, 765-kilovolt transmission lines threatening private property, invasive surveillance cameras, crushing property taxes, and soaring diesel costs.
I was the first to call for a moratorium on unchecked data center construction. Democrat Clayton Tucker joined my call soon afterward.
But Nate Sheets? He’s conspicuously missing in action.
While Tucker and I are demanding immediate action to protect Texas water, farmland, and rural communities, Sheets has failed to join our call for a moratorium.
His opposition has been weak, his positions vague, and his willingness to confront powerful interests seriously lacking.
Texas doesn’t need another politician offering lip service while our water disappears and our farmland gets swallowed by corporate interests.
We need a fighter, not a fence-sitter.
And Sheets’ campaign money raises even more questions. Sheets received a reported $300,000 contribution from a major data center investor who has publicly advocated Texas secession from the United States.
Three hundred thousand dollars from a man invested in the very industry threatening Texas agriculture. That’s a staggering contribution.
While Tucker and I demand a moratorium, Sheets collects hundreds of thousands from a major data center investor. Texans should be asking why.
Will Sheets protect our water or protect his donors? The answer is his donors because they own him!
Then there’s his business record. His former company, Nature Nate’s Honey, was sued because of using adulterated honey. Following litigation, Sheets abruptly sold the company.
Nate Sheets does not meet the statutory qualifications required to serve as Texas Agriculture Commissioner. If elected, he cannot serve. That’s the fact. Texas Agriculture Code §11.005 establishes specific requirements for this office. Sheets points to land ownership, but owning acreage doesn’t satisfy the law. You cannot buy your way around statutory qualifications. The law is the law, regardless of what Nate Sheets believes.
After nearly twelve years leading the Texas Department of Agriculture, I know what this job demands. I’ve been a conservative Republican my entire adult life. I’ve never endorsed a Democrat. But my loyalty has always been to Texas, not a political party.
Democrat Clayton Tucker has taken strong positions defending our water, farmland, property rights, and rural communities against unchecked corporate expansion. We disagree on plenty. But standing up for Texas agriculture shouldn’t require a particular party affiliation.
Governor Greg Abbott endorsed Sheets even after being warned about his addictions and infidelity.
I’ve devoted my life to Texas agriculture. My concerns aren’t personal.
They are about protecting the school children of Texas. They’re about protecting an agency serving millions of Texans and an industry essential to our future.
Texas agriculture isn’t for sale. Neither is my conscience. I wasn’t elected to be anybody’s rubber stamp. I was elected to fight for Texas.
Early voting is now underway. Election Day is November 3. Examine the candidates. Question their qualifications. Follow their money. Demand answers. Don’t vote for a party label. Vote for Texas.
My time in office is ending. My commitment to Texas agriculture isn’t. Our water. Our land. Our farmers. Our kids. Our future.
Texas agriculture is worth fighting for. And I’ll never stop fighting.