Why run for Texas Commissioner of Agriculture? Why: Agriculture first - politics last?

Well you know, somebody came up with that for me and I kinda stuck with it because it really fits.

Eight months ago I was out in the pasture checking cows and reading the newspaper. Never had given a thought. Oh, back in my young days, my high school days, I always envisioned wanting to be Governor of Texas some day, but I had long since forgotten about that.

Never really thought about politics. And just saw we were fixing to use it for another training ground again with a guy who I don't even know could spell agriculture.

But, I don't care about politics. And what irritates me I guess more than anything is that there's even politics in agriculture.

You know somebody else came up with a tag line after that, "Agriculture first - politics last." And that's really the way I look at things. And I have no political ambitions whatsoever.

None.

You couldn't run fast enough to throw the keys to me to the governor's mansion. Or even, I wouldn't even contemplate sitting in a room with a 150 other guys in the legislature arguing over something as stupid as which side of the road should the dog be walked on.

Which side should you have bicycles on.

You know, because I don't have time in my life for that type of pettiness. Nor do I have the patience.

Nor do I think it's a game. I've had numerous people tell me, "It's not what you know - it's who you know, and how well you can play the game."

Well I'm going to tell you something. My philosophy is, when it comes to people's lives, and livelihoods, it's not a game. It's not a game. And until we get rid of the people in Austin, and in Washington that think of it more in a game, as a game, in terms of its effects on people's everyday lives - we're not ever going to get this mess cleaned up.

But I intend to run and be elected to this office and then I am going to stay there as long as the people of the state of Texas will let me stay and work on improving agriculture and benefiting their lives.

My name is Hank Gilbert and I am running for Commissioner of Agriculture because its the only job I want.