Changes

A spokesman for [[Sid Miller]], the winner of the runoff for agriculture commissioner held on May 27, 2014, questioned the role of Janey Briscoe Marmion, the treasurer of the Carnes campaign and a daughter of the late Democratic [[Governor]] Dolph Briscoe, also of Uvalde. It was subsequently found that Marmion has given to Republicans five times the amount that she donated to Democrats. Carnes too questioned certain actions of Miller's treasurer, the controversial rock singer [[Ted Nugent]].<ref name=carnesquestionedaboutparty/>​

A spokesman for [[Sid Miller]], the winner of the runoff for agriculture commissioner held on May 27, 2014, questioned the role of Janey Briscoe Marmion, the treasurer of the Carnes campaign and a daughter of the late Democratic [[Governor]] Dolph Briscoe, also of Uvalde. It was subsequently found that Marmion has given to Republicans five times the amount that she donated to Democrats. Carnes too questioned certain actions of Miller's treasurer, the controversial rock singer [[Ted Nugent]].<ref name=carnesquestionedaboutparty/>​

 

Carnes avoided conservative rhetoric in his race for agriculture commissioner.<ref name=tobserver/> He won the endorsement of [[baseball]] icon Nolan Ryan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/tx-j-carnes-for-texas-idUSnBw125933a+100+BSW20140212|title=Nolan Ryan Endorses J Allen Carnes for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, February 12, 2014|publisher=reuters.com|accessdate=April 25, 2014}}</ref>Ryan's help made little difference, for Carnes finished last in the primary. With 410,273 (34.6 percent) of the ballots cast, Miller led the primary field and then in the runoff contest defeated the runner-up, Tommy Merritt, a former state representative from Longview. The incumbent commissioner, Douglas Todd Staples, vacated the position because he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary. The three losing primary candidates, Eric Opiela, the former executive director of the Texas Republican Party from Karnes City, Joe Cotton of Frisco, and Carnes, held a combined 44 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014.</ref>​

Carnes avoided conservative rhetoric in his race for agriculture commissioner.<ref name=tobserver/> He won the endorsement of [[baseball]] icon Nolan Ryan.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/02/12/tx-j-carnes-for-texas-idUSnBw125933a+100+BSW20140212|title=Nolan Ryan Endorses J Allen Carnes for Texas Agriculture Commissioner, February 12, 2014|publisher=reuters.com|accessdate=April 25, 2014}}</ref>Ryan's help made little difference, for Carnes finished last in the primary. With 410,273 (34.6 percent) of the ballots cast, Miller led the primary field and then in the runoff contest defeated the runner-up, Tommy Merritt, a former state representative from Longview. The incumbent commissioner, Douglas Todd Staples, vacated the position because he ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor in the Republican primary. The three losing primary candidates, Eric Opiela, the former executive director of the Texas Republican Party from Karnes City, Joe Cotton of Frisco, and Carnes, held a combined 44 percent of the ballots cast.<ref>Texas Secretary of State, Republican primary election returns, March 4, 2014.</ref>​