Todd Staples
Todd Staples (b. August 24, 1963, in Palestine, TX) is the former Texas Commissioner of Agriculture. Staples, a Republican, assumed office in 2007 and won a second term in November 2010.[1] He did not seek re-election to the office in 2014 and ran unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor.
Biography
Staples served on the nonpartisan Palestine City Council from 1989 to 1991. He was elected to the Texas House of Representatives in a special election to replace Elton Bomer, who had been appointed state insurance commissioner by Governor George W. Bush. In 2000, Staples entered the race for the Texas Senate seat vacated by Drew Nixon. Staples was unopposed for the Republican nomination for Agriculture Commissioner in 2006 when the incumbent Susan Combs was elected state Comptroller.[2]
Education
- B.S. in agricultural economics, Texas A&M University, (1984)
Political career
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture (2007-2015)
Staples served as Texas Commissioner of Agriculture from 2007 to 2015. He was first elected in 2006 and re-elected in 2010.
Elections
2014
Staples ran for Lieutenant Governor of Texas in the 2014 election.[3][4]
Staples lost the primary on March 4.
- Primary
| Texas Lieutenant Gubernatorial Republican Primary, 2014 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Candidate | Vote % | Votes | ||
 Dan Patrick |
41.4% | 552,692 | ||
| David Dewhurst Incumbent |
28.3% | 377,856 | ||
| Todd Staples | 17.8% | 236,949 | ||
| Jerry Patterson | 12.5% | 166,399 | ||
| Total Votes | 1,333,896 | |||
| Election results via Texas Secretary of State. | ||||
2010
Staples won re-election in the November 2, 2010, election, defeating Democratic candidate Hank Gilbert and Libertarian Rick Donaldson.[5]
| Texas Commissioner of Agriculture, 2010 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Todd Staples Incumbent |
60.8% | 2,953,775 | |
| Democratic | Hank Gilbert | 35.8% | 1,738,456 | |
| Libertarian | Rick Donaldson | 3.4% | 164,035 | |
| Total Votes | 4,856,266 | |||
| Election results via Texas Secretary of State | ||||
| 2013 Todd Staples for Lt. Gov. ad |
2006
On November 7, 2006, Todd Staples won election to the office of Texas Agriculture Commissioner. He defeated Hank Gilbert (D) and Clay Woolam (L) in the general election.
| Texas Agriculture Commissioner, 2006 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Vote % | Votes | |
| Republican | Todd Staples |
54.8% | 2,307,406 | |
| Democratic | Hank Gilbert | 41.8% | 1,760,402 | |
| Libertarian | Clay Woolam | 3.4% | 144,989 | |
| Total Votes | 4,212,797 | |||
| Election results via Texas Secretary of State. | ||||
Campaign finance summary
Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.
Personal
Note: Please contact us if the personal information below requires an update.
Staples grew up in Palestine, TX. He graduated from Palestine High School as an active member of the Future Farmers of America. He owned a nursery business and a real estate business. He is also a former instructor at Trinity Valley Community College. Staples and his wife, Janet, have four grown children and three grandchildren.[2]
Recent news
This section links to a Google news search for the term "Todd + Staples + Texas + Agriculture"
See also
External links
- Official campaign website
- Texas Department of Agriculture - Commissioner Todd Staples
- Biography from Project Vote Smart
- Legislative Profile from Project Vote Smart
- Todd Staples on Twitter
- Campaign contributions: 2010, 2008, 2006, 2004, 2002, 2000, 1998
Footnotes
- ↑ Texas Department of Agriculture, "Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples," accessed July 21, 2013
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Todd Staples Bio
- ↑ The Texas Tribune, "Dewhurst plans to run for re-election," August 28, 2012
- ↑ Governing Politics, "George P. Bush May Run for Texas Land Commissioner," November 15, 2012
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, "November 2010 General Election Results," accessed March 26, 2011
| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Susan Combs (R) |
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture 2007–2015 |
Succeeded by Sid Miller (R) |
| Preceded by ' |
Texas State Senate 2001-2007 |
Succeeded by ' |
| Preceded by ' |
Texas House of Representatives 1995-2001 |
Succeeded by ' |
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State of Texas Austin (capital) |
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