Texas Ag Commissioner Sid Miller is believed to be in the running
With the results of the U.S. election confirming Donald Trump’s return to the White House, one of the president-elect’s first orders of business will be to select his cabinet.
With that at top of mind, here are some potential candidates to serve as Agriculture Secretary.
In April, Politico reported that current Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller could be in the running, citing sources who were granted anonymity to discuss the possible appointment.
If given the opportunity, Miller would take it.
“I’m not actively lobbying for it, but I wouldn’t turn it down,” he told Chron this April.
Following the Nov. 5 election, Politico published more potential USDA picks.
Kip Tom, an Indiana farmer, a co-chair of Farmers and Ranchers for Trump, and the ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture during Trump’s first term, is also a possible candidate.
“I would tell you I would be honored if asked to serve and I would serve at the pleasure of the President in any role that he would offer to me at that time, but right now I’m a farmer and I just want to help represent agriculture,” Tom said in a Nov. 7 interview.
Another possible candidate for ag secretary is Ted McKinney.
McKinney is the current CEO of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture.
And during President Trump’s first term, McKinney served as the first USDA under secretary for trade and foreign agricultural affairs.
A Congressman from Kentucky could also be the next ag secretary.
Left to right: Sid Miller, Zippy Duvall, and Thomas Massie. Each are among the potential picks to lead the USDA under President-elect Trump.
Thomas Massie posted on X on Nov. 6 he’s “ready and willing to help the President with any part of his bold agenda to focus on the health and well being of Americans,” adding he hadn’t been offered any position within Trump’s team.
Another member of the ag community, however, says Massie will be the next ag secretary.
Farmer Joel Salatin wrote on his blog that “Thomas Massie from Kentucky, has agreed to go in as Secretary of Agriculture.”
Other names being rumoured for the position include:
- Current American Farm Bureau President Zippy Duvall
- Abel Maldonado, owner of Runway Vineyards in Santa Maria, Calif., and former California Lt. Gov from 2010 to 2011.
- Ray Starling, an expert in ag policy and law.
In his first term, the ag secretary nominee was the last one President Trump announced.
Sonny Perdue took the position on April 25, 2017.