Sid Miller
| Sidney Carroll "Sid" Miller | |
 | |
12th Texas Agriculture Commissioner
| |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2, 2015 | |
| Preceded by | Douglas Todd Staples |
|---|---|
Texas State Representative
for District 59 | |
| In office January 2001 – January 8, 2013 | |
| Preceded by | David Lengefeld |
| Succeeded by | Jesse David "J. D." Sheffield, II |
| Born | September 6, 1955 De Leon Comanche County, Texas |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Debra Miller |
| Children | Two children |
| Religion | Cowboy Church |
Sidney Carroll Miller (born September 6, 1955) has been since 2015 the Republican agriculture commissioner for the state of Texas, a position filled prior to 1999 by former Governor Rick Perry.
Political life
A native of De Leon in Comanche County and a resident of Stephenville in Erath County, he was nominated and elected in 2014 to succeed the two-term commissioner Douglas Todd Staples of Palestine, Texas, who instead ran for lieutenant governor in a contest dominated by Dan Patrick. He defeated four primary opponents, including former state Representative Thomas Charles "Tommy" Merritt (born 1948) of Longview. Prior to his tenure as agriculture commissioner, Miller was from 2001 to 2013 the state representative for District 59 in Central Texas. As a legislator, he compiled a generally conservative record.
Miller graduated in 1973 from De Leon High School and received an Associate of Arts degree from Cisco Junior College in Cisco, Texas, and a Bachelor of Science in agricultural education from Tarleton State University in Stephenville. [1] Miller breeds American Quarter Horses. He holds nine world championship titles from the United States Calf Roping Association.[2] He is known for his presence on social media, on which he has made numerous controversial statements.[3]
In 2000, with the victory in Texas of George W. Bush as U.S. President, Miller was the only Republican candidate in Texas to unseat a Democrat lawmaker, when he toppled David Lengefield of Hamilton County, 18,568 (54.4 percent) to 15,561 (45.6 percent).[4] His fortunes changed drastically in 2012, when he himself was unseated in the Republican primary election by the Gatesville physician Jesse David "J. D." Sheffield, II, a Moderate Republican who still holds the District 59 seat.
In 2015, shortly after taking office as agriculture commissioner, Miller traveled to Oklahoma to receive an injection called "the Jesus shot" which claims an end to pain. He reimbursed the state for the travel expenses after the media exposed the story.[3]
In October 2015, Miller directed his department to raise 117 different fees impacting registration. licensing, and inspection. He claimed the $11 million in increases was required to compensate for the costs of regulations. The San Antonio Express-News urged Miller to drop the increases and proposed that the state legislature to determine whether agricultural department funding is adequate.[5] In 2017, Miller proposed another $5 million in fee increases, what he called "essential money" to offset legislative cuts.[6]
In the Republican primary held on March 6, 2018, Miller led a three-candidate field with 758,548 (55.8 percent). In second place was Jim Hogan, a farmer and insurance agent from Cleburne in Johnson County who sought the position in 2014 as a Democrat, polled 309,384 votes (22.8 percent). Trey Blocker, an Austin attorney and lobbyist, trailed with 290,494 (21.4 percent) Miller now faces the Democrat Kim Olson, who was unopposed for her party's nomination. Though Olson polled 120,944 more primary votes than did Miller, the overall Republican turnout was 1,358,536 votes compared to the Democrats' 879,492.[7]Station KVIA in El Paso correctly predicted that Miller would defeat Olson in the November 6 general election.
In June 2020, amid widespread riots over the George Floyd death while in police custody in Minneapolis, Miller issued a condemnation of the lawlessness:
Folks, this is not a protest. It is a well orchestrated attack on America's major cities with plans to attack the police, riot, loot, and burn buildings. The so-called ‘protestors’ are, in fact, domestic terrorists who were organized and paid for by George Soros to further divide our country. These terrorists were bused into these large cities. We must repel this attack and hold those responsible for their actions. This must be brought to a stop now or we will lose control of our country![8]
On March 1, 2022, Miller won his party's nomination for a third term as agriculture commissioner over Susan Harp in the Republican primary. He now advances to the November 8 general election.
References
- ↑ Sidney Carroll Miller. Texas Legislative Reference Library. Retrieved on February 21, 2014.
- ↑ Exclusive: Meet The Texas Rodeo Cowboy Advising Trump On Agriculture. Retrieved on March 8, 2018.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Miller wins Texas Agriculture Commissioner [re-nomination]. KVIA.com (March 6, 2018). Retrieved on March 8, 2018.
- ↑ General election returns. Texas Secretary of State (November 5, 2000). Retrieved on March 8, 2018.
- ↑ "Fee hikes another bad Sid Miller idea", San Antonio Express-News, November 14, 2015, p. A14.
- ↑ Brian M. Rosenthal, "Ag commissioner might increase fees again," San Antonio Express-News, March 5, 2017, p. A4.
- ↑ Election Returns. Texas Secretary of State (March 6, 2018). Retrieved on March 8, 2018.
- ↑ Ross Ramsey (June 8, 2020). Analysis: Events — and their own words — put Texas Republicans in an election year bind. KSAT-TV, San Antonio, from The Texas Tribune. Retrieved on June 9, 2020.
