Abbott Rips Ag Boss for Vote on Tuition Bill
that 97% of House Republicans Supported
Statewide Fundraising
Capitol Inside
January 21, 2026
Governor Greg Abbott set his sights on Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller when he threw his massive weight behind a beekeeper from the Dallas area while his campaign blamed the incumbent's vote as a state lawmaker for an immigration-related bill 25 years ago as a major factor in the decision.
The Republican governor touted Miller primary foe Nate Sheets as a "true conservative champion" who would be committed to "restoring integrity" to the position that Miller won initially in 2014 when the governor was elected to his current post for the first time as well. Abbott campaign manager Kim Snyder sought to rub it in - asserting in a statement that Miller has a "history of corruption" without providing any evidence to back up the claim.
Miller has been the target of investigations into allegations of using state funds to pay expenses on trips with political angles. Miller came under fire at one point for a jaunt to Oklahoma for a so-called "Jesus shot" to alleviate pain that lingered from injuries suffered as a rodeo cowboy. But the incumbent agriculture commissioner has never been convicted or even charged with any illegal activities in connection with the accusations that were lodged against him earlier in his career as the state farm and ranch boss.
Abbott's motives for the Sheets endorsement came under scrutiny on social media amid unsubstantiated reports on remarks that Miller served up during a pep-talk to a GOP women's group in East Texas earlier this week. Based on an audio tape from the activists meeting, Miller suggested that Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick were out of touch with life on the farm in the Lone Star State. Miller reportedly portrayed Patrick as a New England product who may have never been to a farm as far as he was aware.
Neither Abbott or Snyder mentioned Miller by name when attempting to justify the split with the folksy politician who President Donald Trump hailed as his "man in Texas" during his first race for the White House in 2016. But the governor's words of praise for Sheets were filled with insults for Miller between the lines of the rhetoric.
"Nate is a principled leader, who is committed to fighting for the best interests of Texas agriculture, upholding the rule of law, and restoring integrity to the Office of the Commissioner," Abbott said in a post on X.
Sheets "is a Texas-first trade candidate who is laser-focused on producing clean food for Texans and strengthening labor security to protect our border and our ag economy," Abbott added. "Texans deserve an Agriculture Commissioner who is focused on promoting Texas Agriculture, with zero tolerance for criminality. Nate Sheets is the true conservative champion for the job and is the leader we need to keep Texas the global powerhouse in agriculture."
But Abbott's camp cast clouds on other conservative allies at the Texas Capitol by attacking Miller for a vote in 2001 for legislation that authorized tuition at resident rates for college students who lived in Texas but were not official citizens of the U.S. at the time.
Republican Rick Perry, who went on to serve as Trump's first energy secretary, championed the tuition break for migrants in his first year on the job as the governor in 2001. All but one of the Republicans in the Texas House voted for the in-state tuition measure for migrant family members in House Bill 1403 on third reading several days after it had advanced on a voice vote. Two of the GOP's 71 House members opposed the proposal when the House voted to concur in Senate members to HB 1403 near the end of the regular session in 2001.
In addition to Miller, the list of lawmakers who backed the tuition discount for undocumented immigrations included current GOP State Reps. Charlie Geren of Fort Worth, Todd Hunter of Corpus Christi and John Smithee of Amarillo. Republican State Senator Phil King of Weatherford and Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham also supported HB 1403 as members of the House in 2001. Former Speaker Tom Craddick - a Midland Republican who was elected to lead the lower chamber after the GOP seized the majority at the polls in 2002 - backed the immigrant tuition measure as well the year before.
Miller entered the House in 2001 and served there for a dozen years before he was unseated in the GOP primary election in 2012 by a challenger who was decidedly less conservative. But Miller bounced back two years later with a victory in his first bid for the position that he's fighting to keep. The Abbott team's reference to the vote from more than two dozen years ago might give some the impression that he was hard up for hooks for attacks.
Sheets is a beekeeper who's based in the Collin County suburb of Frisco. He already had at least two state Senate Republicans in his corner for the battle with Miller on the primary ballot March 3. Sheets has a significant lead in the war chest competition in the agriculture commissioner's contest after fueling his novice campaign with loans to the tune of $753,000 to go with almost $800,000 in contributions during a nine-month span in 2025.
Miller - as has been custom for his statewide campaigns - has considerably less than all of the other Republican incumbents on the statewide ballot in Texas in 2026. Miller - in sharp contrast to the primary rival - rounded up nearly $362,000 last year.
Miller sought to get on Abbott's good side a year ago without apparent success when he praised the agenda that the governor had unveiled for the regular session.
“I applaud Governor Greg Abbott for using his State of the State address to highlight many of the same critical issues I’ve been fighting for—supporting Texas families, our hardworking public servants, and the farmers and ranchers who keep this state running," Miller said in a statement on his web site. "Finally, we are eliminating discriminatory DEI policies from the state government, a fight the Texas Department of Agriculture (TDA) has joined."
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| OFFICE |
CANDIDATE |
DONATIONS & LOANS |
CASH DECEMBER 30 |
| Governor |
Greg Abbott (R-Inc) |
$42,899,176 |
$105,088,492 |
| |
Gina Hinojosa (D) |
$1,342,555 |
$661,125 |
| Lt. Governor |
Dan Patrick (R-Inc) |
$8,729,002 |
$37,701,658 |
| |
Vikki Goodwin (D) |
$504,333 |
$161,130 |
| |
Marcos Velez (D) |
$79,910 |
$51,042 |
| Attorney General |
Mayes Middleton (R) |
$11,985,836 |
$5,098,210 |
| |
Chip Roy (R) |
$5,500,491 |
$4,272,045 |
| |
Aaron Reitz (R) |
$3,773,447 |
$2,953,221 |
| |
Joan Huffman (R) |
$1,275,642 |
$2,718,093 |
| |
Nathan Johnson (D) |
$716,000 |
$757,681 |
| |
Joe Jaworski (D) |
$404,045 |
$249,986 |
| |
Tony Box (D) |
$137,602 |
$27,548 |
| Comptroller |
Kelly Hancock (R-Inc) |
$3,642,824 |
$7,081,725 |
| |
Don Huffines (R) |
$31,240,677 |
$2,953,221 |
| |
Christi Craddick (R) |
$4,649,765 |
$2,833,307 |
| |
Sarah Eckhardt (D) |
$114,629 |
$183,692 |
| Land Commissioner |
Dawn Buckingham (R-Inc) |
$1,765,114 |
$2,814,830 |
| |
Benjamin Flores (D) |
$118,905 |
$67,720 |
| |
Jose Loya (D) |
$29,857 |
$9,733 |
| Ag Commissioner |
Sid Miller (R-Inc) |
$361,952 |
$102,525 |
| |
Nate Sheets (R) |
$1,529,157 |
$373,235 |
| Texas RRC |
Jim Wright (R-Inc) |
$555,852 |
$655,846 |
| |
Bo French (R) |
$379,695 |
$179,645 |
| |
Jon Rosenthal (D) |
$61,223 |
$30,063 |
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