Todd Staples

Todd Staples

Douglas Todd Staples (born August 24, 1963)[1] is the current Republican (GOP) Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture. Prior to his election in 2006 as Agriculture Commissioner, he had been a member of both houses of the Texas State Legislature and formerly served on the city council in Palestine, Texas.

Staples was unopposed for renomination in the GOP primary held on March 2, 2010. In the November 2 general election, he handily defeated the populist Democrat Hank Gilbert (born 1959) of Whitehouse and the Libertarian Party choice, Rick Donaldson of Rockwall County. Gilbert had also lost to Stapales in 2006. After the 2010 primary, Gilbert defeated Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman, who was an Independent gubernatorial candidate in 2006. Friedman announced that he was supporting Gilbert for the position and would not himself ever again seek public office.[2]

Contents

Background

Staples grew up in Palestine (pronounced PAL ES STEEN), the seat of Anderson County in East Texas. He graduated from Palestine High School where he was an active member of the Future Farmers of America. While in college, he served as state vice-president of the FFA from 1981 to 1982. He attended Texas A&M University and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Economics in 1984. He started a nursery business, and later became involved cattle ranching with a friend. He also owned a real estate business. He is a former instructor at Trinity Valley Community College.

Staples and his wife, Janet, have four grown children: Jared Staples, Elizabeth Staples, Brian Thorn, and Jonathan Thorn. He is a Southern Baptist and serves as a deacon in his local church.

Political career

Staples served on the non-partisan Palestine City Council from 1989 to 1991. In February 1995, 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 a contest against two Democrats, Staples avoided a runoff by about 60 votes, having collected 50.6 percent of the vote.

In 2000, Staples entered the race for the Texas Senate seat vacated by Drew Nixon. Despite the scandal surrounding Nixon, Staples held the seat for the Republican Party, having received more than 60 percent of the vote in the general election. In the Senate, Staples served as chair of the Transportation & Homeland Security Committee, the Workers Compensation Select Interim Committee and the Texas Senate Republican Caucus. He served as vice-chair of the State Affairs Committee and the Veteran Affairs & Military Installations Committee.

Staples was unopposed for the Republican nomination for Agriculture Commissioner in 2006 when the incumbent Susan Combs instead was elected state Comptroller to succeed Carole Strayhorn, like Friedman an unsuccessful independent gubernatorial contender that same year. Staples defeated Democrat Hank Gilbert and Libertarian Clay Woolam in the November 7, 2006, general election. He received 2,307,406 votes (54.77 percent), a margin of 547,000 votes over Gilbert.[3]

The Staples campaign at the website http://www.guiltyguiltygilbert.com issued this statement: "Our opponent has a criminal conviction for theft, unpaid taxes, current tax liens, and allegedly accepted a bribe for $150,000."[4]

Election history

Most recent election

2006

Texas general election, 2006: Texas Commissioner of Agriculture[5]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Staples 2,307,406 54.77 -4.77
Democratic Hank Gilbert 1,760,402 41.79 +3.97
Libertarian Clay Woolam 144,989 3.44 +2.26
Majority 547,004 12.98 -8.74
Turnout 4,212,797 -4.85
Republican hold

Previous elections

2002

Texas general election, 2002: Senate District 3[6]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Staples 119,993 88.23 +27.59
Libertarian Michael Carter 16,001 11.76 +11.76
Majority 103,992 76.47 +55.18
Turnout 135,994 -45.92
Republican hold

2000

Texas general election, 2000: Senate District 3[7]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Republican Todd Staples 152,514 60.64 +10.55
Democratic David Fisher 98,976 39.36 -10.55
Majority 53,538 21.29 +21.10
Turnout 251,490 +20.88
Republican hold
Republican primary, 2000: Senate District 3[8]
Candidate Votes % ±%
Van Brookshire 4,875 11.08
Les Tarrance 8,816 18.05
Todd Staples 20,367 70.15
Majority 21,522 52.10
Turnout 29,183

References

  1. ^ Office of the Secretary of State (Texas) (2002-09-13). "State Senate Candidates for 2002 General Election". http://www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/candidates/general/senate/senateaddr.shtml. Retrieved 2006-12-26. 
  2. ^ "Perry ready to take on White", Laredo Morning Times, March 3, 2010, pp. 1, 10A
  3. ^ ""Texas Roundup"". burntorangereport.com. http://www.burntorangereport.com/tag/Jeff%20Weems. Retrieved October 12, 2009. 
  4. ^ "Staples' opponent criticizes state broadband access maps". Lubbock Avalanche-Journal. http://lubbockonline.com/filed-online/2010-06-18/staples-opponent-criticizes-state-broadband-access-maps. Retrieved June 19, 2010. 
  5. ^ "2006 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-01-02. 
  6. ^ "2002 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-01-01. 
  7. ^ "2000 General Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-01-01. 
  8. ^ "2000 Republican Party Primary Election". Office of the Secretary of State (Texas). http://elections.sos.state.tx.us/elchist.exe. Retrieved 2007-01-01. 

External links

Preceded by
Elton Bomer
Member of the Texas House of Representatives
from District 11 (Palestine)

1995–2001
Succeeded by
Chuck Hopson
Preceded by
Drew Nixon
Texas State Senator
from District 3 (Palestine)

2001–2007
Succeeded by
Robert Nichols
Preceded by
Susan Combs
Texas Commissioner of Agriculture
2007––present
Incumbent

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