Todd Staples, Republican for  Texas Agriculture Commissioner

Hank Gilbert, Democrat for Texas Agriculture Commissioner

March 16, 2006 - Unopposed in the Republican primary election on March 7, Todd Staples of Palestine received 581,222 votes as the party’s candidate for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Staples, 42, is currently serving as a state representative and is a businessman and rancher.

Gaining the most votes in the Democratic primary election on March 7 for the Texas Ag Commissioner seat was Hank Gilbert, a 46-year-old a rancher and self-employed businessman from Whitehouse.

Gilbert received 339,240 of the votes, while 49-year-old Koecadee Melton Jr., an environmental coordinator in Fort Worth, received 138,198 votes in the party’s primary election.

The Secretary of State’s office has also received declarations to run for the Texas Agriculture Commissoner position from Independent candidate Bill Boyd, and Libertarian candidate Clay Woolam.

The parties will convene later this year to officially announce their candidates for all the statewide positions up for election in 2006.

Current Texas Agriculture Commissioner Susan Combs is seeking the state’s Comptroller job. In the March 7 Republican primary election, Combs, running unopposed in her party for Comptroller, received 557,496 votes.

General election will be Nov. 7.