A third Republican candidate has entered the race for South Carolina Commissioner of Agriculture, setting up a three-way primary that now includes two Clarendon County farmers and a longtime state agriculture official.
Cody Simpson, a fifth-generation farmer with ties to Clarendon County and former federal and state agriculture official, announced his candidacy this morning with the endorsement of President Donald Trump and Gov. Henry McMaster.
Simpson joins Fred West of Batesburg-Leesville and Jeremy Cannon of Turbeville in the race to replace longtime Agriculture Commissioner Hugh Weathers, who is retiring after nearly 22 years leading the South Carolina Department of Agriculture.
“South Carolina agriculture is the backbone of our state’s economy and our way of life,” Simpson said in a campaign announcement. “I’ve lived the challenges South Carolina rural families face … Now, I’m ready to take that experience and fight every single day as South Carolina’s Commissioner of Agriculture to protect our farms, our families, and our future.”
Simpson previously served as state executive director of the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Farm Service Agency in South Carolina after being appointed by Trump. In that role, he worked with farmers across the state on federal programs, disaster relief and conservation initiatives.
Before his federal service, Simpson served as agriculture advisor and chief executive assistant to McMaster, helping shape state policy affecting farming, forestry, wildlife management and rural communities. He has also served on several state and national agricultural advisory groups.
A graduate of Francis Marion University, Simpson was raised on his family’s Century Farm in Clarendon County’s Home Branch community and has remained active in agriculture and conservation organizations. He also serves as a major in the South Carolina State Guard.
“As a farmer, I understand the rising costs, the labor challenges, the regulatory burdens, and the uncertainty that too many of our producers face,” Simpson said. “We need a Commissioner who knows agriculture not just from behind a desk, but also from the cab of a tractor and the fields of South Carolina.”
Simpson said his campaign will focus on protecting farmland, strengthening food supply chains, expanding market opportunities for farmers and promoting agricultural education and workforce development.
His entry into the race adds another Clarendon County farmer to the Republican primary field alongside Cannon, a fourth-generation farmer from Turbeville who announced his candidacy earlier this year.
Cannon operates a diversified farm that includes row crops and cattle and has emphasized the need for stronger support for rural farmers and expanded markets for locally grown products. In comments to other media outlets, Cannon has said the next commissioner should understand the realities facing rural producers and help keep farmland in production as development pressures increase.
West, who launched his campaign in 2025 and has been endorsed by Weathers, serves as the Department of Agriculture’s director of market development. A former poultry industry executive, he has highlighted his experience in agribusiness and his work expanding market opportunities for South Carolina products.
The agriculture commissioner oversees roughly 250 agency employees and is responsible for promoting the state’s agribusiness sectors, ensuring food safety and handling inspections of establishments that sell food.
South Carolina’s agriculture commissioner is a statewide elected position, and historically the office has been held for long tenures. The Republican primary will determine who advances in the race to succeed Weathers.
