Former state Rep. and Tea Party favorite Sid Miller, currently a lobbyist, won the Republican primary runoff election for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. He beat out Tommy Merritt, a businessman and former Republican state Representative.
Miller was endorsed by Governor Rick Perry earlier this month; endorsements from Perry have been very rare during the 2014 Republican Primary season.
Perry said of Miller, “As a former Texas Agriculture Commissioner myself, I know how critical this position is for the hardworking farmers and ranchers across our state. I have worked closely with Sid for nearly 15 years and he is the real deal, a proven and trusted conservative leader who has fought hard to build the Texas economy, create jobs and opportunities for Texans, and defend our constitutional freedoms and personal liberties.”
Rocker Ted Nugent is also a Miller supporter–the rocker also served as the campaign’s treasurer.
A Miller spokesman reportedly said of Nugent, “We are not going to do anything to distance ourselves from Ted Nugent. If we had concerns about some of the things that Mr. Nugent has said or done, we wouldn’t have reached out to him and asked him to become involved in our campaign on such a high level.”
Miller’s win is considered a win for Texas conservatives, as Tea Party leaders across the state have endorsed him. Breitbart Texas reported earlier today that the Tea Party appears to be dominating the Texas primary runoffs.
According to NBC, Miller and Merritt rarely spoke about farm issues during their campaigns. Rather, they narrowed-in on topics like gun laws and abortion.
Miller will go on to face the Democratic nominee, Jim Hogan, in the general election–if successful, Miller will replace the current Agriculture Commissioner Todd Stales, who lost his recent bid for lieutenant governor.
Follow Kristin Tate @KristinBTate.
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