Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries Rick Pate said Wednesday he’ll consider a 2026 run for governor, but he and his wife won’t make that decision until early next year.
“I’m not ruling it out, but Julie and I have to sit down and have that conversation,” Pate told Alabama Daily News.
Pate is in his second term as ag commissioner and is term limited.
“I’m having literally so much fun doing what I’m doing,” Pate said about his current job. “I feel like we’re doing important stuff here.”
An early campaign decision would be a distraction, he said.
“I want to be the best ag commissioner Alabama’s ever had and I don’t think I’ve completely done that yet,” Pate said. “That’s my goal. And we have time to think about (what’s next).”
If he gets in the 2026 race, it could be a crowded field vying to succeed Gov. Kay Ivey. Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth and Attorney General Steve Marshall, both also term limited, are often mentioned as potential GOP contenders.
Ag commissioner isn’t as high profile a role as Ainsworth’s or Marshall’s, but Pate has been a popular and steady presence, including during COVID-19 supply chain disruptions. His job takes him around the state. He also makes regular trips to D.C. to speak on agriculture issues.
In February, polling for ADN showed Ainsworth and Marshall close in total favorable ratings, 33.4% and 36.9%, respectively. Meanwhile nearly 30% of respondents said they’d never heard of either man.
In a gubernatorial run, Ainsworth would start with a financial advantage. He has about $1.3 million on hand for his next political run, according to his last annual campaign finance report.
Marshall had $214,052 on hand, per his 2023 report to the Alabama Secretary of State. Pate had $138,461 available after his last ag commissioner run.
Pate said he hasn’t hired any consultants or laid any campaign groundwork.
“Mentally, I don’t want to spend the next six months of this job that I just love and enjoy and so much getting sucked into all of that political drama that is associated with Montgomery,” he said.
Pate won a GOP primary contest for his current seat in 2018 and didn’t have any major party opposition in 2022.
Pate is from Lowndes County and was the mayor of Lowndesboro for 14 years before taking his current role.
He previously owned Pate Landscaping Co. and raised cattle.