Todd Staples has served as Texas' agriculture commissioner since 2007. Before that, he served as a state representative for House District 11 from 1997-2000 and as a state senator for Senate District 3 from 2001-2005. He has announced his intention to run for lieutenant governor in 2014. A former rancher and businessman, Staples graduated with honors from Texas A&M University with a bachelor's degree in agricultural economics. This event was recorded before a live audience in Austin on May 2, 2013. Our TribLive events feature discussion with our honored guests followed by questions from the audience. For more information on Tribune events, please visit http://www.texastribune.org/events/.