This is the time of year when politics, state and national, heat up. Since the 1990 election cycle, Texas Farm Bureau (TFB) members have utilized a political action fund to participated in this process. We call it AGFUND.

The point is that all of us own our vote. It is a right, but also a privilege. I believe the founding fathers of our nation assumed that nearly all of us would vote and that we’d consider our votes carefully. I will leave it to others to hash out all of that, but I want to use this space to encourage Texas Farm Bureau members to vote. Not only that, I hope you’ll carefully examine the positions of candidates and compare theirs with yours.

We do it to support candidates who understand agriculture and are supportive of the policies and ideas of farm and ranch families. We are very careful of the process and believe it to be a true grassroots effort. When we say “grassroots,” we really mean it!

Before these decisions are made, county leaders serve on Candidate Evaluation Committees for the districts that pertain to them. They hear from the candidates and recommend their choices to the state AGFUND board. The final decision on whether or not to endorse is made by the AGFUND board. Without the critical participation of our member leaders, this process would not work as well as it does.

Input from the county Farm Bureau leaders is sought for statewide races. There is a friendly incumbent rule. Those incumbents who vote with us at least 70 percent of the time usually earn friendly incumbent status.

Please understand that no one at TFB is telling you how to vote. What we can do is explain agricultural issues and examine them for you. We’ll report on how the candidates stand on these issues, and we will measure them on their positions regarding Farm Burau policy and support for agriculture.

We use our communications tools to tell you about all of this. We stand by the decisions of the AGFUND board, informed by the input of our local leadership.

In each race, we have the choice of remaining neutral or choosing one of the candidates in the race. None of this is taken lightly. Decisions are made only after careful consideration and consultation.

The last thing I want to mention is that your vote is your own decision. Regardless of which candidate you prefer, it is important that you vote.

The voter is the most powerful individual in our democracy. Your vote is your right, and your obligation. Thanks for voting on Nov. 6!

Sincerely,
Russell Boening, President
Texas Farm Bureau AGFUND