Where Will These Farmers, Politicians, and Agriculture Business Professionals Go?

After a decisive presidential victory on Nov. 5, 2024, Donald Trump and his transition team have been busy filling out his administration. Of the 15 cabinet heads, the secretary of agriculture will arguably be the most impactful for farmers.

Trump’s USDA secretary “short list” was actually a long one before the official nominee, Brooke Rollins, was named. Who was on the list, and what will they do now? Here’s a look at what 16 individuals who were rumored to be in the running for the agriculture secretary role are up to now.

Kelly Loeffler

In late November it was widely reported that Kelly Loeffler was expected to be announced as Trump’s pick for Secretary of Agriculture. However, a day later it became clear that was not the case when Trump announced Brooke Rollins as his nominee.

Instead, Loeffler, a businesswoman and former Republican senator, will lead the Small Business Administration in Trump’s second term. Loeffler was raised on a family farm in Illinois. She has spent much of her professional life in Georgia.

“As an entrepreneur and business leader who founded startups and helped build a Fortune 500 company, Senator Loeffler looks forward to meeting with her former colleagues this week to discuss empowering America’s job creators,” Loeffler spokesperson Caitlin O’Dea told Fox News in a mid-December statement. “She is honored to be President Trump’s choice to lead the SBA, and, if confirmed, looks forward to advancing his agenda to make the small business economy great again.”

In early December Iowa Senator Joni Ernst expressed her support of the nomination. “As a successful business owner, Kelly knows what it takes to innovate and create jobs that support American families, and I am confident that she will fight to get Washington bureaucrats off the backs of our nation’s small businesses. I look forward to a swift confirmation process so that we can work together to cut the red tape, restore the American Dream for entrepreneurs, and bring accountability to a federal agency that has been reckless with taxpayer dollars,” she said in a statement.

Abel Maldonado

California Republican Abel Maldonado has been considered for the top USDA post twice by Trump – first in 2017 and again in 2024, but has never been ultimately nominated.

Maldonado was 48th Lieutenant Governor of California during Arnold Schwarzenegger’s administration. He ran for Congress in 2012, but was defeated by the Democratic incumbent. 

Maldonado’s early political career included stints as a Mayor of Santa Maria and California State Senator.

According to LinkedIn Maldonado continues to own Runway Vineyards in Santa Maria, California. He does not currently hold an elected office.

Zippy Duvall

American Farm Bureau Federation (AFBF) President Zippy Duvall is currently serving his second term. He was first elected to the position in 2016. Duvall is a Georgia native and a third-generation farmer. Prior to his current role, he served as Georgia Farm Bureau’s president. 

Duvall was one of the first names attached to the USDA Ag Secretary role, even before Trump officially won the 2024 election. He had a strong relationship with the USDA when fellow Georgian Sonny Perdue served in the role under Trump in his first administration. However, speculation around Duvall went quiet before Rollins was announced as Trump’s nominee.

In a press appearance at the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation’s annual meetings in December, Duvall emphasized his commitment to the AFBF and downplayed the possibility of taking up a role in the second Trump administration. 

“I feel like I can assist the president and his cabinet by bringing him the voice of American agriculture, with the experience that I’ve gained here over the last nine years,” Duvall said. “So I look forward to continuing this role.”

Mike Conaway

Mike Conaway was the U.S. representative for Texas’s 11th congressional district from 2005–2021. He was chair of the House Agriculture Committee from 2015–2019 and ranking member from 2019 until his retirement from Congress in January 2021. 

Conaway was mentioned to be a potential nominee for agriculture secretary just days after the election, according to The Hagstrom Report. Although Conaway did not comment on his interest in the role, his business partner Scott Graves told The Hagstrom Report, “I know that his name has been coming up and he’s received several calls.” After praising Conaway and outlining his qualifications, Graves said, “Whether it’s Mike or someone else, both President Trump and American agriculture deserve someone of his caliber to fill that role.”

Since retiring from Congress, Conaway has acted as a private consultant for agricultural policy, according to Dairy News Today.

Ray Starling

No stranger to D.C. or the department, Ray Starling spent time as the USDA Chief of Staff during the first Trump administration. Prior to taking the role under Perdue in the USDA, Starling had been in the White House as a special assistant to Trump. 

Currently, Starling serves in multiple roles outside of national politics. He is the the Executive Advisor for Waypoint General and is listed as the general counsel for the North Carolina Chamber of Commerce, where he sets litigation strategy and “leads the NC Chamber Foundation and NC Golden LEAF Foundation’s efforts to craft a strategic plan for North Carolina agriculture, a project dubbed NC Ag Leads.” 

Starling gave an interview to Successful Farming in 2018 about his time in the FFA.

Charles Herbster

A farmer from Falls City, Neb., Charles Herbster was named in reports from Politico as someone in the running for the Agriculture Secretary role. Herbster has not held political office. He ran for Governor of Nebraska in a 2022 primary, falling to current governor Jim Pillen.

After Rollins was nominated, Herbster took to social media to acknowledge his candidacy for the role.

“It was an extreme honor to have been considered by my friend President Donald J. Trump for the position of Secretary of Agriculture,” Herbster wrote.

“Working together on the Executive Committee Board for the America First Policy Institute, I have gotten to know Brooke Rollins well. I know she will do an incredible job as the next secretary of agriculture for President Donald J. Trump. I am fully committed to do whatever I can to help Secretary Rollins and The President make America Great Again!”

Herbster has not ruled out future runs for political office. He is an agribusinessman and a fifth-generation farmer at Carico Farms, which he now owns alongside his Angus cattle operation Herbster Angus Farms. Herbster is also the owner and CEO of multiple companies alongside his farming endeavors.

Sid Miller

One of Trump’s most vocal agriculture allies, Sid Miller is in his third term as Texas Ag Commissioner, first getting elected in 2015. He is up for re-election in 2026. 

Miller’s link to the Ag Secretary role was a strong one. Miller stated that he was in discussions with the Trump administration and campaign about taking over as USDA Secretary after the 2020 election if Biden had lost. The Texas Tribune reported Miller spent time during the summer of 2024 touring swing states to stump for Trump. 

An eighth-generation farmer, Miller breeds and trains American Quarter Horses as part of his family operation. In 2024, he hosted a weekly show on RFD-TV focused on Texas agriculture.

After Rollins’ nomination for the role was made public, Miller released a statement on Facebook congratulating the fellow Texan.

“I want to congratulate my friend and fellow Texan, Brooke Rollins on her appointment by President Donald J. Trump as America’s next Secretary of Agriculture. I have known Brooke for 25 years and know she is a loyal and trusted advisor to President-elect Trump. I am confident she will be a strong voice in defense of America’s farmers, ranchers, ag producers, and consumers, and I look forward to working with her to keep agriculture strong and to Make America Healthy Again,” Miller wrote.