Steve Troxler

Steve Troxler (born 1952) is a tobacco farmer and Republican politician. He serves as the Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services for North Carolina. Because of a contested election due to lost ballots in the November 2004 statewide election, he was not sworn in until February 8, 2005. He was re-elected in 2008 and 2012.

Steve Troxler
16th Agriculture Commissioner of North Carolina
Assumed office
February 8, 2005
GovernorMike Easley
Bev Perdue
Pat McCrory
Roy Cooper
Preceded byBritt Cobb
Personal details
Political partyRepublican
EducationNorth Carolina State University (BS)

He has continued to enforce the ban on carried weapons at the North Carolina State Fair, which was upheld by a county superior court in 2014, although some gun owner groups tried to challenge the policy. The ban on guns at the fair has been maintained.

Biography

Troxler was born and grew up in Browns Summit, North Carolina, where he attended local schools. He studied conservation at North Carolina State University, earning a bachelor's degree in 1974.

He later founded a tobacco and wheat farm, which has been developed as a family business. Getting active in politics after conservative southern whites shifted their political affiliation following the civil rights movement, he joined the Republican Party.

Based on his successful farming career, Troxler first ran for the post of North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture in 2000, losing to Meg Scott Phipps. He ran again for the same position in the 2004 Council of State election, finishing 2,000 votes ahead of incumbent Democrat Britt Cobb. However, because more than 4,000 votes were lost in Carteret County, the race was unresolved for more than three months. After extended legal challenges between Cobb and Troxler, Cobb conceded the race on February 4, 2005.

Troxler was sworn in as North Carolina Agriculture Commissioner on February 8, 2005, a month later than usual. He was the first Republican to be elected as Agriculture Commissioner in the state's history, reflecting the ascendancy of the party in the state. After his inauguration at the North Carolina State Fairgrounds, Troxler rode a tractor to his downtown offices.

Troxler was re-elected in 2008 as Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Services for the state of North Carolina.[1] In 2012 he was elected to a third term.

Because of a state law passed in 2013 that expanded venues for carrying legally permitted weapons, in 2014 a gun owners group challenged the no-guns policy of the North Carolina State Fair. Troxler enforced the ban that year while court cases were litigated.[2] A Wake County Superior Court upheld the ban at the fair later that year. By early 2015, some legislators introduced bills to allow guns, while others introduced a bill to maintain the ban on carrying guns at the fair.[3] The ban continues as of 2018.

Electoral history
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Troxler 66,257 27.37
Republican Tom Davidson 58,189 24.04
Republican Billy Guthrie 50,386 20.81
Republican David Rouzer 28,134 11.62
Republican Frank Tadlock 20,020 8.27
Republican Elbie Powers 19,098 7.89
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Election, 2000
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Meg Scott Phipps 1,418,164 50.57
Republican Steve Troxler 1,386,311 49.43
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Election, 2004
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Troxler 1,666,197 50.03
Democratic Britt Cobb (inc.) 1,663,910 49.97
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Election, 2008
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Troxler (inc.) 2,130,146 52.05
Democratic Ronnie Ansley 1,962,741 47.95
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Election, 2012
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Troxler (inc.) 2,303,586 53.22
Democratic Walter Smith 2,025,054 46.78
North Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture Republican Primary Election, 2016
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Steve Troxler (inc.) 634,100 68.77
Republican Andy Stevens 287,948 31.23
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References
  1. "Steve Troxler for Commissioner". November 2008.
  2. Andrew Kenney, "Troxler says he will enforce gun ban at NC State Fair, despite threat of legal action", News & Observer, 30 September 2014; accessed 10 June 2018
  3. Jim Morrill, "Bill would allow guns at NC State Fair", Charlotte Observer, 02 April 2015; accessed 10 June 2018
Political offices
Preceded by
Britt Cobb		 Agriculture Commissioner of North Carolina
2005–present		 Incumbent
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