FARGO, ND – Ryan Taylor announced today that he is seeking the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party endorsement for Agriculture Commissioner. Taylor is a former state senator who served as the Senate Democratic Leader and was the party’s nominee for governor in 2012.

A fourth-generation rancher, Taylor said that the state needs an engaged agriculture commissioner who understands both the business of agriculture and the culture of agriculture. Taylor said that it is vital that the agriculture commissioner champion what he calls, “North Dakota’s first industry.”

“North Dakota deserves an agriculture commissioner who is more than a rubber stamp, more than a head nod for whatever’s slid in front of him on the Industrial Commission, on the desk that should be used to protect and preserve the family farms that raise our children and put food on our tables. The office needs an advocate – a thinking, speaking, debating, reasoning, active commissioner who has both made a living off the land and realizes full well the importance of caring for the land held in trust for our children and grandchildren.

“The office is designed to be one of the most important and influential offices in state government. The right agriculture commissioner can make a positive difference for all North Dakotans. The agriculture commissioner’s seat on the three-person Industrial Commission is critical. It controls the oil and gas development of our state, as well as the Bank of North Dakota, the state mill and elevator, the housing finance agency, and many of the most important threads of our state’s economy. The agriculture commissioner’s vote and voice is equal to those of the governor and attorney general.

“I’m stepping forward to be a voice that will represent our farmers and ranchers, advocate for all our citizens, champion a diversified economy, be a steward of our land, and help restore political balance and responsibility to state government.”

Taylor, 43, ranches near Towner, ND where he lives with his wife, Nikki, and their three young children. The Taylor Ranch has been in his family for over a century. In 2002, at the age of 32, Taylor was elected to the North Dakota Senate, where he served for the next ten years. During his time in the Senate, he was a member of the Senate Agriculture Committee. Taylor currently serves as a county commissioner in McHenry County. He is a Bush Foundation Fellow, a member of the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, a trustee of the North Dakota Cowboy Hall of Fame, and sits of the board of directors for Metigoshe Ministries and Hartland Mutual Insurance. Taylor holds Bachelor Degrees in Agriculture Economics and Mass Communications from NDSU.

North Dakota Democrats will hold their State Convention in Fargo, March 28-30.

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From: Dem-NPL News