• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon

1

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military

2

'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032

3

Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
MPWMost Powerful Women

Trump’s Potential Agriculture Secretary Pick Is Being Compared to Michelle Obama

Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
Claire Zillman
By
Claire Zillman
Claire Zillman
Editor, Leadership
Down Arrow Button Icon
December 21, 2016, 9:24 AM ET
Susan Combs
Texas Comptroller Susan Combs stands before her charts during a news conference where she released her biennial revenue estimate that will be used to set Texas budget for the upcoming legislative session, Monday, Jan. 7, 2013, in Austin, Texas. (AP Photo/Eric Gay)Photograph by Eric Gay—AP

There are just a few open spots left on President-elect Donald Trump’s cabinet and one of the big remaining questions is whom he will pick for Agriculture secretary.

One contender is Susan Combs, former Texas comptroller and agriculture commissioner, whose nutrition policies would “please Michelle Obama,” according to Politico. Trump aides said Combs met with Vice President-elect Mike Pence in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday, and she has the backing of House Agriculture chairman Mike Conaway, a fellow Texan, who told Politico that Combs is “a proven commodity in Texas” and “a stunningly capable woman.”

Trump has appointed nominees to all cabinet positions except director of national intelligence, secretary of Agriculture, secretary of Veterans Affairs, and U.S. trade representative. There are other contenders for the Agriculture job—former Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue, Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp from North Dakota, Nebraska cattleman Charles Herbster, Texas’s current Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, and Idaho Governor Butch Otter—but none have emerged as a favorite.

Check out our 2016 list of the Most Powerful Women in Business

Combs herself has expressed doubts about Trump. She initially backed former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in the Republican primary before switching her support to Florida Senator Marco Rubio when Fiorina dropped out. In September, when she appeared at the Texas Tribune Festival, Combs expressed some reservations about Trump, noting that he has “an unfortunate habit…of not being particularly polite in public about women.”

Some Republicans likely have their own reservations about Combs, as they have questioned her conservatism. One Texas political operative told Politico that Combs’ “liberal policies” in Texas were more “restrictive” than Michelle Obama’s. Combs was elected Texas agriculture commissioner—the first woman to hold the role—in 1998. In the job, she pushed measures to remove fried foods, soda, and sugary treats from Texas public schools just as the current first lady has done at the federal level. (Sid Miller, Combs’ successor in the role, reversed those policies.)

Subscribe to The World’s Most Powerful Women, Fortune’s daily must-read for global businesswomen.

Combs’ role as Texas comptroller, a position she assumed in 2006, has also come under scrutiny since under her leadership the office inadvertently released the personal information of 3.5 million Texans, such as their social security and driver’s license numbers. It was believed to be the largest data breach in Texas history.

Combs’ resume also contains a rather quirky line: She published an erotic novel about a relationship between an NSA analyst and a spy. The book played into Combs’ campaign for comptroller in 2006 when her Democratic rival called her a “pornographic book writer.”

More recently, Combs wrote a memoir titled Texas Tenacity that went on sale this month. In the book, Combs describes her experience running for elected office and her upbringing on a cattle ranch. She also writes frankly about her struggles as a 6-foot-2 woman. Her height ended up being her biggest strength. “It was very hard to be that tall,” Combs said. “Either I was going to let it own me or I was going to own it. I decided I had to own it. I ran against guys who were all shorter than me. We were standing on this stage [at] these debates and I said, ‘You know, all of my opponents look up to me,’” she told the Texas Tribune last month. She’s also using leftover campaign contributions to launch HERdacity, a nonprofit online platform and mobile app that aims to give women with shared interests and career objectives a way to connect and support one another. It goes live in February.

Combs and Trump’s transition team did not immediately respond to requests for comments.

If Combs does get the nod for Agriculture secretary, she would add to the gender diversity of Trump’s cabinet, which so far features just four women.

 

 

 

 

About the Author
Claire Zillman
By Claire ZillmanEditor, Leadership
LinkedIn iconTwitter icon

Claire Zillman is a senior editor at Fortune, overseeing leadership stories. 

See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in MPW

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in MPW

Xbox CEO Asha Sharma speaks on stage at Fortune Brainstorm Tech 2026.
Big TechMicrosoft
‘Not an Allbirds Moment’: Xbox’s new CEO says she is grounding the console in gaming roots, not AI
By Sebastian HerreraJune 9, 2026
11 hours ago
BP’s new CEO Meg O’Neill rips up the energy giant’s playbook—and the ‘green’ era with it
EnergyBP
BP’s new CEO Meg O’Neill rips up the energy giant’s playbook—and the ‘green’ era with it
By Jordan BlumJune 9, 2026
12 hours ago
Opening offices in 120 countries is ‘not a badge of honor’—pick 30 instead says iconic former tech CEO
C-SuiteBrainstorm Tech
Opening offices in 120 countries is ‘not a badge of honor’—pick 30 instead says iconic former tech CEO
By Jeff John RobertsJune 9, 2026
14 hours ago
Marguerite Casey Foundation to donate half a billion by 2036 to help rescue “suffering” nonprofits under Trump
MPWphilanthropy
Marguerite Casey Foundation to donate half a billion by 2036 to help rescue “suffering” nonprofits under Trump
By The Associated Press and James PollardJune 9, 2026
16 hours ago
Inside Trump’s Oval Office deal machine
MagazineDonald Trump
Inside Trump’s Oval Office deal machine
By Alyson ShontellJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
The women running Europe in 2026 
MPWMost Powerful Women
The women running Europe in 2026 
By Sam BirchallJune 8, 2026
2 days ago

Most Popular

Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
Asia
Pentagon accuses Alibaba, Baidu and BYD, three of China's biggest companies, of supporting the Chinese military
By Kate O'Keeffe and BloombergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
Economy
'We are rapidly running out of time': Watchdog sounds Social Security alarm after 22% cut confirmed for 2032
By Nick LichtenbergJune 9, 2026
14 hours ago
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
Environment
Trump, who has repeatedly called climate change fake, is now threatening Brazil with tariffs over the deforestation of the Amazon
By Sasha RogelbergJune 8, 2026
1 day ago
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
Success
Costco CEO Ron Vachris rose from forklift driver to the C-suite without a college degree: ‘Don’t chase a title’ is the career advice that got him there
By Preston ForeJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 8, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 8, 2026
2 days ago
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
Success
Gen Zers are arriving at college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJune 7, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.