One of the challenges of being a swing state is that presidential campaigns tend to suck up a lot of attention in North Carolina – to the detriment of other important statewide races on the ballot that don’t get as much coverage. In an ongoing series, we’ll break down the statewide races here, on the WUNC Politics Podcast, and in the WUNC Politics Newsletter.
Longtime incumbent Steve Troxler is again seeking reelection to an office he's held for two decades. Democrat Sarah Taber is challenging him. Since narrowly defeating Britt Cobb in 2004, Troxler has never garnered less than 52% of the vote.
Agriculture is North Carolina's largest industry, and while the Agriculture Commissioner doesn't generate frequent headlines, the job is crucial to the state's economy. The job includes regulatory oversight, supporting farmers, protecting consumers, promoting agriculture and being a steward of the environment.
What does the North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner do?
The Commissioner of Agriculture is on the Council of State and oversees an office of more than 2,000 employees – North Carolina's Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services – and is responsible for enforcing agricultural, food safety, and environmental regulations. The office is essentially the state's food and drug safety agency. Its decisions and actions impact the farming economy and food supply in North Carolina, where agribusiness makes up 17% of the state workforce.
The Commissioner of Agriculture has a hand in crafting policy, arranging funds for disaster relief, organizing the annual state fair, and might even be involved in trade negotiations with other countries. The commissioner works closely with the state Department of Environmental Quality and the EPA.
The elected term for the office is for four years with a salary of $146,421.
Who is Steve Troxler?
Troxler, 72, is seeking a sixth term as North Carolina's Commissioner of Agriculture, an office he was first elected to in 2004. He is a farm owner from Browns Summit, and a graduate of North Carolina State University. Troxler Farms in Guilford County produces tobacco, wheat, vegetables, and soybeans.
In 2020, Troxler defeated challenger Jenna Wadsworth by about eight percentage points, or about 400,000 votes. Leading up to that election, Troxler told Axios that he was, "against the legalization of marijuana but that is a legislative issue."
Troxler hadn't held public office before being elected two decades ago and he rarely engages political culture wars.
In recent years, Troxler has lobbied the state legislature for salary increases for employees within the state Department of Agriculture
Who is Sarah Taber?
Taber, 41, is a crop scientist, farmer, consultant and podcaster from Fayetteville with a large following on X (formerly Twitter), north of 100,000 followers. She says she started working on farms when she was 14 years old. Taber has a bachelor's degree in environmental sciences from Brigham Young University, and a doctorate in plant medicine from the University of Florida.
Taber told the News & Observer that her top priority if elected would be "rebuilding our failing farm economy."
"We're losing farms because too many farmers can't afford to stay in business," Taber said. "It's the commissioner's job to fix that."
She has never held an elected public office.
Are there any other candidates?
A Libertarian candidate, Sean Haugh, is also on the ballot. He previously ran for U.S. Senate in 2016 and 2014, and the District 31 state House seat in 2020 and 2022. Haugh advanced to the general each time, but lost.
Haugh, 63, a retired pizza delivery driver, told the Wilmington Star News and News & Observer that his priorities, if elected, would be to improve the state fair and legalize marijuana.
