Ballot spotlight: Texas Agriculture Commissioner

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Ahead of the 2026 general election, we will be writing a series of articles that shine a light on the role that different statewide offices play in public education. The Texas AFT Committee on Political Education (COPE) has endorsed Clayton Tucker for Texas Agriculture Commissioner. Our organization does not endorse in all races, so readers may wonder why we threw our hat in for a race that is seemingly unrelated to public education. However, the Texas Department of Agriculture plays a critical role in several programs in our schools.

The department administers federal meal programs including the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program and provides local school nutrition teams with training, resources, and reimbursement administration. It processes monthly federal reimbursements to local school districts based on the millions of meals served. Texas has the highest number of students in the nation that qualify for these programs (~3.38 million) representing about 60% of the K-12 students in Texas. The amount of federal funding that flows through this program varies from $1.5 to $2 annually, and impacts around 3 million school children daily.

The department also promotes programs like Farm Fresh Fridays and Farm Fresh Challenge to encourage schools to serve fresh, locally grown Texas produce. This connects students directly to local agriculture while supporting Texas farmers and ranchers. About 88% of Texas child nutrition programs participate in these programs, successfully redirecting around $300 million of school food budget dollars directly to Texas producers. This means that the majority of Texas's core 3 million daily meal recipients are regularly exposed to Texas-grown produce, meats, and dairy. 

While millions of students are eligible, data show that only about 145,000 children actively receive a summer lunch through the Summer Food Service Program that provides no-cost meals to children in low-income areas. On any given summer weekday, these meals can be accessed through local sponsor sites. $50-$100 million flows directly to schools, local government agencies, and nonprofits to cover the food and operational costs of feeding children when school is out. While Texas infamously opted out of the federal Summer EBT pre-loaded grocery card program in 2024, which would have brought an extra $450 million in direct aid to impacted families, the agency continues to funnel standard federal reimbursements to traditional summer access sites.

Food insecurity and hunger are barriers to learning in Texas classrooms. Through the administration of the above programs, the Agriculture Commissioner actually has a daily impact on the lives of millions of our most vulnerable students. Texans should care deeply about the person they elect to provide these invaluable services to children in need across the state. Clayton Tucker’s support of a healthy rural economy, clean soil and food, and commitment to reduce Texas kids’ hunger make him the best candidate to be Agricultural Commissioner.