Two candidates aim to oust NC’s longtime agriculture commissioner. Read about them here.
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Candidates for North Carolina agriculture commissioner
Republican incumbent Steve Troxler is running against Democrat Sarah Taber. Libertarian Sean Haugh is also running. Get to know the candidates with our 2024 Voter Guide.
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North Carolina’s agriculture commissioner has been Republican Steve Troxler since 2005, and this November, candidates are once again vying to unseat him.
The challengers are Democrat Sarah Taber and Libertarian Sean Haugh, both of whom responded to a questionnaire from The News & Observer and Charlotte Observer about their plans for the state’s Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services if elected. Troxler did not reply to the questionnaire.
The agriculture industry is major in North Carolina, contributing over $111 billion to the state’s economy in 2024. The state ranks first nationally in the production of sweet potatoes, tobacco, poultry and eggs, and is second in Christmas trees, turkeys, and trout, as well as third in hogs and cucumbers.
The N.C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, led by the agriculture commissioner, is responsible for overseeing and enforcing agricultural, food safety, and environment regulations.
The department also supports farmers, protects consumers, assists with agricultural marketing and promotion, and manages the North Carolina State Fair and the North Carolina Mountain State Fair. The agriculture commissioner collaborates with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the state Department of Environmental Quality.
Both Taber and Haugh believe they are well-suited for this wide-ranging job.
Candidate questionnaires
Troxler is an NC State graduate from Guilford County who owns a farm that has grown tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans. He is the past president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture, an organization which represents the elected and appointed officials of state agriculture departments.
Taber is a farm consultant and small farmer with 27 years of experience in agriculture. She holds a doctoral degree in plant medicine from the University of Florida and a post-doctorate in blueberry breeding from the same institution. Additionally, she has worked with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on aquaponics.
Haugh said in his questionnaire that he is “most famous for delivering pizzas,” after he received some media attention while running unsuccessfully for U.S. Senate in 2014 and 2016. He also ran for a state House seat in 2020 and 2022. He said in the questionnaire that he is retired, attended “some college,” and has helped build the Libertarian Party of NC since 1994.
Both candidates addressed specific questions about how they would combat anticipated farmland loss in the coming years and whether they support regulations proposed by the Department of Environmental Quality aimed at managing “forever chemical” pollution in drinking water supplies in North Carolina.
The candidates also shared what their top priorities would be if elected. To learn what those priorities are and more, read Taber and Haugh’s candidate questionnaires at newsobserver.com/voterguide.
This story was originally published October 18, 2024 at 11:56 AM with the headline "Two candidates aim to oust NC’s longtime agriculture commissioner. Read about them here.."
