Todd Staples
Encyclopedia
Douglas Todd Staples
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.
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.
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.
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."
is the current Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
(GOP) Commissioner of the Texas Department of Agriculture
Texas Department of Agriculture
The Texas Department of Agriculture is a state agency within the state of Texas, which is responsible for matters pertaining to agriculture, rural community affairs, and related matters.TDA was established by the 13th Texas Legislature in 1907...
. 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
Palestine, Texas
Palestine is a city in Anderson County, Texas, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 17,598, and 18,458 in the 2009 estimate. It is the county seat of Anderson County and is situated in East Texas...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
.
Staples was unopposed for renomination in the GOP primary
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
held on March 2, 2010. In the November 2 general election
United States elections, 2010
The 2010 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 2, 2010. During this midterm election year, all 435 seats in the United States House of Representatives and 37 of the 100 seats in the United States Senate were contested in this election along with 38 state and territorial...
, he handily defeated the populist
Populism
Populism can be defined as an ideology, political philosophy, or type of discourse. Generally, a common theme compares "the people" against "the elite", and urges social and political system changes. It can also be defined as a rhetorical style employed by members of various political or social...
Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Hank Gilbert (born 1959) of Whitehouse
Whitehouse, Texas
Whitehouse is a city in Smith County, Texas, United States. The city had an estimated population of 7,327 in 2006. It is part of the Tyler, Texas Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
and the Libertarian Party
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
choice, Rick Donaldson of Rockwall County
Rockwall County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 43,080 people, 14,530 households, and 11,972 families residing in the county. The population density was 334 people per square mile . There were 15,351 housing units at an average density of 119 per square mile...
. Gilbert had also lost to Stapales in 2006. After the 2010 primary, Gilbert defeated Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman
Kinky Friedman
Richard S. "Kinky" Friedman is an American Texas Country singer, songwriter, novelist, humorist, politician and former columnist for Texas Monthly who styles himself in the mold of popular American satirists Will Rogers and Mark Twain. He was one of two independent candidates in the 2006 election...
, 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.
Background
Staples grew up in Palestine , the seat of Anderson CountyAnderson County, Texas
Anderson County is a county located in the U.S. state of Texas. As of 2000, the population was 55,109. Its county seat is Palestine. Anderson county was organized in 1846, and is named in honor of Kenneth L. Anderson who had been Vice President of the Republic of Texas.-Geography:According to the...
in East Texas. He graduated from Palestine High School
Palestine High School
Palestine High School is a current or former school building located within the Palestine Independent School District in Palestine, Texas. It is also known as Reagan School or The Museum for East Texas Culture....
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
Texas A&M University
Texas A&M University is a coeducational public research university located in College Station, Texas . It is the flagship institution of the Texas A&M University System. The sixth-largest university in the United States, A&M's enrollment for Fall 2011 was over 50,000 for the first time in school...
and graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Agricultural Economics
Agricultural economics
Agricultural economics originally applied the principles of economics to the production of crops and livestock — a discipline known as agronomics. Agronomics was a branch of economics that specifically dealt with land usage. It focused on maximizing the crop yield while maintaining a good soil...
in 1984. He started a nursery
Nursery (horticulture)
A nursery is a place where plants are propagated and grown to usable size. They include retail nurseries which sell to the general public, wholesale nurseries which sell only to businesses such as other nurseries and to commercial gardeners, and private nurseries which supply the needs of...
business, and later became involved cattle
Cattle
Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...
ranching with a friend. He also owned a real estate
Real estate
In general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
business. He is a former instructor at Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College
Trinity Valley Community College is a community college in the state of Texas.TVCC operates four campuses serving the Texas counties of Anderson, Henderson, and Kaufman, southeast of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex:...
.
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
Deacon
Deacon is a ministry in the Christian Church that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions...
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 RepresentativesTexas House of Representatives
The Texas House of Representatives is the lower house of the Texas Legislature. The House is composed of 150 members elected from single-member districts across the state. The average district has about 150,000 people. Representatives are elected to two-year terms with no term limits...
in a special election to replace Elton Bomer
Elton Bomer
Elton L. Bomer is an insurance executive and a retired American politician from Montalba near Palestine, the seat of Anderson County in eastern Texas.-Political life:...
, who had been appointed state insurance commissioner
Texas Department of Insurance
The Texas Department of Insurance is the regulator of all Texas-based insurance companies and was founded as a result of the McCarran-Ferguson Act. The agency is headquartered at the William P. Hobby State Office Building at 333 Guadalupe Street in Austin, Texas, United States.TDI Fraud UnitThe...
by Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
. In a contest against two Democrats
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, 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
Texas Senate
The Texas Senate is the upper house of the Texas Legislature. There are 31 members of the Senate, representing 31 single-member districts across the state with populations of approximately 672,000 per constituency. There are no term limits, and each term is four years long. The Senate meets at the...
seat vacated by Drew Nixon
Drew Nixon
Drew Eldred Nixon is a former Texas state senator from Carthage, the seat of Panola County in east Texas, who served from 1995 to 2001. He is largely known for a tabloid sex scandal....
. 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
Incumbent
The incumbent, in politics, is the existing holder of a political office. This term is usually used in reference to elections, in which races can often be defined as being between an incumbent and non-incumbent. For example, in the 2004 United States presidential election, George W...
Susan Combs
Susan Combs
Susan Combs is a Republican politician from the U.S. state of Texas, currently serving as the state's Comptroller of Public Accounts....
instead was elected state Comptroller
Comptroller
A comptroller is a management level position responsible for supervising the quality of accounting and financial reporting of an organization.In British government, the Comptroller General or Comptroller and Auditor General is in most countries the external auditor of the budget execution of the...
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
Texas general election, 2006
The 2006 Texas General Election was held on Tuesday, 7 November 2006, in the U.S. state of Texas. Voters statewide elected the Governor, Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Comptroller of Public Accounts, Commissioner of the General Land Office, Commissioner of Agriculture, and one Railroad...
. He received 2,307,406 votes (54.77 percent), a margin of 547,000 votes over Gilbert.
The Staples campaign at the website http://www.guiltyguiltygilbert.com issued this statement: "Our opponent has a criminal conviction for theft
Theft
In common usage, theft is the illegal taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent. The word is also used as an informal shorthand term for some crimes against property, such as burglary, embezzlement, larceny, looting, robbery, shoplifting and fraud...
, unpaid taxes, current tax liens, and allegedly accepted a bribe for $150,000."