Texas Ag Commissioner demands GOP chair resign after party loses every statewide race
Sid Miller called the election results a political catastrophe and urged party leadership to step down following the defeat of all Republican candidates for statewide offices.
By Dominic Foster ·
Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller lost his seat on Tuesday, and the defeat occurred alongside the loss of every other statewide race for Republicans. The party also ceded control of the Texas House of Representatives and its majority on the State Board of Education. Miller immediately demanded that Republican Party of Texas Chair D’Rinda Randall resign.
Miller called the results a political catastrophe in a post on the official Texas Department of Agriculture Facebook page. He stated that voters shouted their displeasure rather than whispering it. Miller accused party leadership of ignoring warnings and said Randall’s statement accepted no responsibility for the failure.
He listed data centers, proposed 765-kV transmission lines, Flock cameras, rising prices, and THC bans as sources of voter anger. Miller alleged he had specifically urged Randall to have Republican candidates address these concerns publicly. He claimed Randall argued the data center issue was less important than social issues.
Miller said he traveled to listen to farmers, ranchers, veterans, homeowners, and small-business owners. He argued that too many leaders refused to listen to what voters wanted. He stated that the party could not claim to be the party of limited government while ignoring government surveillance concerns. He also said the party could not defend private property rights while dismissing the fears of agricultural workers.
Miller announced his intention to travel across the state to meet with voters and rebuild trust. He stated that accountability must start at the top. His tenure has faced previous scrutiny, including a 2014 investigation by the Texas Rangers and a fine from the Texas Ethics Commission for personal travel. He paid back the money and was never charged.
During his second term, his political consultant Todd Smith was indicted for commercial bribery and theft related to hemp licenses. Smith later pleaded guilty, and Miller made him chief of staff at the Department of Agriculture. In 2025, the Texas Tribune reported a former friend told law enforcement Miller asked him to dispose of marijuana items during a federal investigation. Miller defended Smith’s hiring and called the case Democrat lawfare.
Gov. Greg Abbott criticized Miller during the 2026 primary campaign, calling him an utter failure on a conservative radio show. Abbott said Miller had character flaws that did not reflect positively on the state. Miller lost the primary to Nate Sheets but wrote an essay discouraging votes for Sheets in the general election. He criticized Sheets for not taking a stronger position against data centers.
Sheets responded on X that he considered Miller’s criticism a badge of honor and called him the most corrupt figure in Texas government. Democrat Clayton Tucker won the general election against Sheets to become the first Democratic agriculture commissioner in nearly 40 years.
