Steve Troxler wins 4th term as agriculture commissioner


Republican incumbent Steve Troxler has won reelection to his fourth term as North Carolina’s commissioner of agriculture, defeating Democratic challenger Jenna Wadsworth.

With 2,642 of 2,662 precincts in the state reporting, Troxler built a margin of 53.9% to 46.1%.

Troxler owns Troxler Farms in Guilford County with his primary crops of tobacco, wheat, vegetables and soybeans. He graduated from NC State University in 1974 with a bachelor’s degree in conservation with a concentration in environmental studies. Troxler is past president of the National Association of State Departments of Agriculture. His tenure in the top agriculture office began in 2005.

Wadsworth, the Democrat nominee, is a member of the Wake County Soil and Water Conservation District. She was first elected in 2010. Wadsworth is a graduate of NC State with a degree in political science.

Among the most visible duties of the commissioner is overseeing the North Carolina State Fair, which was canceled this year because of the coronavirus.