Former House Agriculture & Livestock Committee Chair announces Republican bid, brings extensive credentials to campaign
Texas Insider Report: STEPHENVILLE, Texas – “I’m running for Texas Agriculture Commissioner to protect our agriculture heritage, defend our rights, protect consumers, and to preserve the values that have made Texas great,” said former State Representative Sid Miller, a past Chairman of the House Agriculture & Livestock Committee, officially kicking off his campaign to 
become Texas’ next Commissioner of Agriculture. In making his announcement, Miller, a farmer, rancher, cattle feeder, and commercial nurseryman said that he would bring the experience of a 6-Term Legislator, a proven conservative leader, and a working agriculturist to the office of Texas Agriculture Commissioner.
Miller is the past Chairman of the House Republican Caucus, and was a member of the Conservative Coalition. He was a founding member of the Legislative Tea Party Caucus and served on the group’s leadership board of directors.
“No current candidate running for Agriculture Commissioner, Republican or Democrat has the unique mix of experience that I bring to the race for this important office,” said Miller.
“I earn my living from the land and have spent my entire life working in and promoting Texas Agriculture.
“Our agriculture industry, our Texas heritage, and our rural way of life are under constant attack by the Obama Administration and out-of-control radical environmentalists,” Miller said.
Miller made the announcement in his hometown of Stephenville during the monthly meeting of the region’s Cross-Timbers Republican Woman’s Club. Current Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples is not seeking reelection and is instead running for Lieutenant Governor.
“I thought my public service career had ended, but over the last 60 days I started receiving phone calls from Texas agriculture and Republican leaders asking me to run for Agriculture Commissioner. When the front runner in the race, Brandon Creighton, decided to leave the race in order to run for the Texas Senate it made my decision to run an easy one,” said Miller.
Miller was first elected to the Texas House of Representatives in 2000 and served six terms in the Texas Legislature. He served two terms on the Agriculture and Livestock Committee before being elevated as Chairman of the Committee by then House Speaker Tom Craddick. He was later named Chairman of the Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee by Speaker Joe Straus.
Miller brings extensive and varied agriculture credentials to his campaign, including being an Honors graduate of Tarleton State University with a degree in Agriculture and having worked five years as a public school teacher teaching Vocational Agriculture and serving as an FFA advisor.
Miller’s agriculture background is extensive.
- He owns and operates a wholesale tree farm and nursery as well as commercial cow-calf and stocker calf operations.
- He breeds, raises, and trains American Quarter Horses including 8 World Champions and the
2-time PRCA horse of the year. - His past livestock operations have included raising hogs from farrow to finish, medium wool sheep and Angora goats.
- He also raised and trained hunting dogs including Labrador Retrievers, Pointers, and German Shorthairs.
- Miller’s farming operations include hay, nursery crops, and wheat.
- He has previously farmed pecans, peanuts, milo, watermelons, cantaloupes, pumpkins, and oats.
Miller is a world champion rodeo competitor. He has earned world champion tie-down roping titles from the United States Calf Ropers Association, the Cowboy Calf Roping Association, and the Senior Calf Roping Association.
He is an Honorary Vice President of the American Quarter Horse Association, a lifetime member of Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, a past board member of the Dublin Farmers Peanut Cooperative, a former board member of the Erath County Farm Bureau, past Area Chairman of Ducks Unlimited, has been certified as a Ranching Heritage Breeder with the 
American Quarter Horse Association, and is a Member of the Texas Agriculture Policy Board. He was named as an FFA Honorary State Farmer and was presented with the Cattlemen’s Council Award by the Independent Cattlemen’s Association.
Miller was an appointed member of the State Agriculture and Rural Leader’s Association and of the American Legislative Exchange Council’s Agriculture Policy Committee. He serves as a member of the Agriculture Advisory Board for United States Congressman Michael Conaway.
He is also a three time recipient of the “Fighter for Free Enterprise” Award from the Texas Association of Business, has been named a “Taxpayer Hero” by Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, and was named one of the top 10 fiscal conservatives in the Texas Legislature by Empower Texas. Following the 82nd Texas Legislature, Miller was named, by “Capitol Inside,” as one of the top five most influential legislators in the Texas House. “TexasLege” ranked Miller as the second most conservative legislator during the 81st session.
Miller was also named “Best Legislator in the Texas House by “Texas Insider.” He was “A+” rated by the National and Texas State Rifle Associations.
As the Chairman of the Committee on Homeland Security and Public Safety, Miller was a strong advocate for tougher border security and for stronger state efforts to help curb the flow of illegal immigrants. He worked to pass legislation that 
provided hundreds of millions of dollars to increase Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas State Guard resources on the Texas/Mexico border.
Miller lives in Stephenville with his wife Debra and they have been married for 36 years. Debra operates a charter school. They have two sons, Joseph, a firefighter, who is married to Kelly, and Truett, a high school coach and teacher, who is married to Natasha. They have two grandchildren.
The Millers attend the Cowboy Church in Erath County where Sid is an Elder.
