Austin (KXAN) – Democrat Clayton Tucker Declares Victory in Texas Agriculture Commissioner Election
As of Wednesday morning, Clayton Tucker had secured 51.4% of the vote, leading his opponent Nate Sheets with 46.5% of the vote, with 96% of total votes counted. KXAN has reached out to Sheets' office for comment.
Tucker released a statement at 10:30 p.m. on Tuesday:
"Tonight, Texans made history. For the first time in 40 years, we’ve elected a Democrat to serve as Agriculture Commissioner, and we did it by bringing Democrats, Republicans, and Independents together."
Tucker, a seasoned political and labor organizer in Texas and Washington, D.C., emphasized his opposition to data centers as a key campaign issue.
"This victory belongs to every Texan who’s tired of watching wealthy corporations and their political buddies call the shots while working families pay the price. Whether it’s Big Tech draining our water for AI Data Centers or corporate monopolies squeezing family farms, Texans have had enough."
Sheets has not yet released a statement regarding the results. Earlier, both candidates accused each other of lacking eligibility for the office. While outgoing commissioner Sid Miller criticized Sheets before the election, he did not endorse Tucker.
Tucker extended gratitude to his voters and pledged to advocate for Texas workers and family farms "regardless of how you voted."
"To every Democrat who stood with us, every Republican who crossed party lines, and every Independent who believed we could do better, thank you. You’ve shown that when Texans come together, organized people can beat organized money."