Hill and Sparks Compete for Alabama Agriculture Commissioner

Republican Corey Hill and Democrat Ron Sparks are competing for the position of Alabama Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries in the general election scheduled for November 3, 2026. The seat became available because current Commissioner Rick Pate is term-limited.

Hill, the mayor of Douglas and a farmer, secured the Republican nomination after defeating State Senator Jack Williams and Christina Woerner McInnis. Sparks, who served as the Commissioner from 2003 to 2011 and previously worked as a senior advisor to former U.S. Senator Doug Jones, ran unopposed in the Democratic primary.

The winner will lead the Alabama Department of Agriculture and Industries, which manages regulatory control over products and business entities to support the state's economic development and the consumption of local products.