Republican challengers are calling Texas Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller dishonest to his face, too

The three Republicans running for Texas agriculture commissioner sat next to each other behind a wooden table, all wearing white cowboy hats, none of them speaking. In the middle, State Rep James White stared straight ahead at the crowd that had gathered for the candidate forum at Sirloin Stockade, hosted by the Williamson County Republican Women. His arms were crossed. For weeks, White has attacked incumbent Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller for his history of run-ins with the Texas Ethics Commission and the Texas Rangers, saying it is evidence of a lack of personal integrity and a culture of misconduct within his office. White has also attacked Miller for his political record, describing him as a “fake conservative,” accusing him of jacking up fees on farmers to fund his pet projects at the department.

The other challenger, rancher and economics professor Carey Counsil of Brenham, has blasted Miller as “just not an ethical person.” Counsil launched his candidacy after Miller’s top political adviser was arrested on theft and bribery charges last year. “I told you it was going to get sporty,” one spectator near the back whispered as Counsil attacked Miller as dishonest. In an interview after the forum, Miller said that the aide’s indictment — and the years of ethics complaints his office and campaign have faced — are all completely baseless, part of a political witch hunt that was drummed up either by Democrats, his campaign opponents, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick or Gov. Greg Abbott, whom Miller is not supporting in his reelection bid. “I've been through this before. Just with other issues that come from the past. They did it to me, you see what they do? The penalty is not getting convicted, the penalties, the process. All they need is a headline, so now these guys have got headlines,” Miller said. Miller — a Trump ally endorsed by the former president — is well known in the state. He runs a Facebook page with 842,000 followers, and he said his team posts on it sometimes 50 times a day, drawing tens of millions of impressions each month, a social media reach far greater than that of any other state office holder. Miller last year considered a run for governor, but he instead decided to seek re-election.