AUSTIN — The two leading candidates for Texas agriculture commissioner are disputing whether each has the experience required by state law to hold the office, raising questions about who decides candidate eligibility before the Nov. 3 election. Democrat Clayton Tucker’s attorneys wrote to Texas Republican Party Chair D’rinda Randall that Republican nominee Nate Sheets does not qualify. They argue that Sheets’ honey-distribution company, Nature Nate’s, does not constitute an agricultural business under the law because it buys honey from independent beekeepers, and because the statute does not explicitly list beekeeping as a qualifying activity. Texas law generally requires a candidate to have spent at least five of the 10 years before the election engaged in agriculture. Qualifying work includes producing crops, raising or keeping livestock, aquaculture and processing agricultural products. The law also provides other paths to eligibility, including recent work for certain agricultural agencies or organizations, or qualifying land ownership or operation combined with participation in a federal farm program. Sheets’ campaign rejected Tucker’s challenge. Spokesperson Travis McCormick said Sheets qualifies through his ranching and business experience, including running cattle and cutting horses on a Texas ranch. The campaign also accused Tucker of failing to meet the requirement, saying he owns no agricultural land. Tucker’s campaign says he has been taking on more operations at his family’s Lampasas-area property since 2016. Tucker’s financial disclosure lists RX Ranch LLC. He accused Sheets of being a “pretend cowboy” and said Texas needs a family farmer leading the agriculture department. Sheets has owned Honey Rock Ranch in West Texas since 2022, according to his campaign; his former Nature Nate’s farm in McKinney has closed. The law does not designate a state agency to determine whether candidates meet the qualifications, leaving open the possibility that the issue could be decided in court. The campaigns’ competing claims therefore remain allegations, not an official determination of either candidate’s eligibility. Libertarian nominee Austin Kelly, an environmental consultant, is also on the ballot. His campaign biography describes experience in livestock showing, farm work, fencing and landscaping. Election Day is Nov. 3.