Sarah Taber
Democrat | North Carolina
Candidate Profile
Liberal
BIOGRAPHY
Name
Sarah Taber
Party
Democrat
Election Year
2024
Election
General
Race
Commissioner of Agriculture
Incumbent
No
Links
EDUCATION
Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah, Bachelors, Environmental Soil Science, 2005
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, Doctor of Plan Medicine, 2011
WORK & MILITARY
Farmer. Twenty-seven years in agriculture, including ten years as owner-operator of a consulting firm. Helped farm and food clients start/expand operations; farm clients are all still in business and now worth a total of $4 billion.
AFFILIATIONS
Candidate did not provide
POLITICAL OFFICES HELD
None
POLITICAL OFFICES SOUGHT
None
ENDORSEMENTS
LIBERAL (10)
NCLCV Conservation PAC
North Carolina AFL-CIO
Peoples Alliance PAC
Sierra Club North Carolina
Vote Mama PAC
REPORTED BY CANDIDATE (3)
League of Conservation Voters
Sierra Club
AFL-CIO
SELECTED CONTRIBUTIONS
LIBERAL
GIVEN BY CANDIDATE (8)
Josh Stein (2024)
Local, County, and District Democratic Organizations (2024)
Robert T. Reives II (2024)
State Democratic Party Organizations (2024)
Young Democrats of America (2024)
RECEIVED BY CANDIDATE (10)
Adam Tebrugge (2024)
Helen Probst Mills (2024)
Joe Sam Queen (2024)
Julie Mayfield (2024)
Kate Compton-Barr (2024)
OTHER INFORMATION
Sarah Taber completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection Survey in 2024.
This candidate is included in the Blue VoterGuide.
QUESTIONNAIRE
RIGHT TO LIFE
Under what circumstances should an elective abortion be allowed?
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Chemical abortion drugs should meet essential safety standards (such as in-person consultation with a medical doctor) and require reporting to gather evidence on reactions and outcomes.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
I support 'aid in dying' laws which legalize assisted suicide and euthanasia.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Abortion providers, including Planned Parenthood, should not receive taxpayer funds from federal, state, or local governments (including Title X grants).
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
RELIGIOUS LIBERTY
Under what circumstances can government close churches?
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Individuals and businesses should be required to provide services even if it would violate their moral and/or religious beliefs.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Should religious schools which accept state funds be allowed to only admit families and students who agree to adhere to their statement of faith?
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
NATIONAL SECURITY
The Chinese Communist Party poses serious military, cyber security, intellectual property, and global economic threats to the United States.
Neutral
My opponent, a 20-year incumbent, prides himself on the trade deals he's made with China. Being able to export our crops is important and trade wars hurt our farmers. But NC's been losing farms—we're #1 in the US in farmland loss—because my opponent hasn't pursued new opportunities for NC. Our farm sales, after factoring in inflation and the growing number of people to feed in this state, have dropped during his five terms. We need to be concerned the economic harm of giving him four more years.
Is the United States' relationship with Israel important, and if so why?
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
HEALTHCARE
What most closely matches your view on healthcare: A) Healthcare for all should be guaranteed and funded by the government with no private healthcare option. (includes "universal healthcare," "medicare for all," etc.) B) Healthcare insurance funded by the government should be available for all who want it, along with private healthcare options. C) Medicaid and Medicare should remain available, but no other taxpayer-funded programs are necessary. D) Taxpayer funded health care should be abolished in all forms, and Medicaid and Medicare should be defunded.
Not applicable to the North Carolina Department of Agriculture.
Under what circumstances (if any) should a government, school, or employer be allowed to require vaccinations?
NA
ECONOMY
Free enterprise and the right to private property are essential elements of a productive economic system.
Strongly Agree
In addition to free enterprise and private property, we also need more competition, especially for our farmers' time and labor. By adding more high-value crops (tomatoes, peaches, strawberries, etc.) to what we already grow and raise here, we can get our rural economy back on track.
What is your position on the minimum wage?
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Should environmental and social issues, like ESG (environmental, social, and governance) ratings, be used as criteria in deciding where to invest public monies?
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
EDUCATION
The state should fund education by allowing dollars to follow the child through programs which protect parents' freedom to choose their child's school – public, private, or homeschool.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
CRIMINAL JUSTICE & PUBLIC SAFETY
I support redirecting funds from police departments to community programs.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture.
2ND AMENDMENT
What restrictions on gun ownership are needed to protect public safety?
I will maintain my opponent's current prohibition on guns at the State Fair. So far as I'm aware, there is no other place where the work of the Department touches on 2A issues.
ABOUT YOU
What do you think is the general purpose of government?
The Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services is responsible for a range of issues, including making sure grocery store scales and gas pumps are properly calibrated to preventing wildfires. I see the Department as also having an important role in bringing people together and elevating good ideas and practices to help our state's economy and general quality of life.
Have you ever been convicted of a felony? If so, please explain.
No
Have you ever been penalized for sexual misconduct in either civil or criminal court? If so, please explain.
No
When you consider your views on a wide range of issues from economic and social matters to foreign policy and religious liberty, which of the following best describes you overall?
Moderate
Neither major party and no political philosophy has a monopoly on good ideas, especially when it comes to agriculture. I would say that my approach is best described as "people-first pragmatism."
VALUES
Taxpayer funds should be used to provide gender transition services.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
No healthcare diagnosis or treatment, whether mental, reproductive, or otherwise, should be given to a child without first receiving written consent from the parent unless an emergency situation arises risking immediate death.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Children are the most vulnerable members of society and must be protected from abuse, including gender ideology, grooming, and bodily mutilation.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Marriage is a God-ordained, sacred and legal union of one man and one woman. No government has the authority to alter this definition.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Briefly describe your spiritual beliefs and values.
My faith teaches me that everyone has inherent dignity. I believe that our elected leaders should be fair and treat everyone the same regardless of whether someone voted for them or not. Agriculture operates on the law of harvest, meaning, at the end of the day, if we want good rural opportunities and a thriving economy in our small towns, we have to work for it. I'm ready to roll up my sleeves and do that work.
ELECTIONS AND VOTING
Voting absentee by mail ballot should be limited to those meeting at least one of the following criteria: 1) 65 years of age or older on Election Day, 2) sick or disabled, 3) expecting to give birth within three weeks before or after Election Day, or 4) confirmed to be absent from the county of registration during voting.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
EQUALITY
Is racism a threat to domestic security in the United States? Why or why not?
Blocking anyone from any economic opportunity, grant or educational programs, or other public services because of their race, national origin, sex, religion, or other fundamental aspect of who they are is not only a violation of my personal beliefs regarding liberty and the American dream but it damages our state and country in the long term.
I agree with Critical Race Theory (CRT) which asserts that the institutions in the United States are fundamentally racist.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
Biological males should not be allowed to participate in women's sports or occupy biological women's spaces whether it be bathrooms, locker rooms, sorority houses, women's shelters, or prison.
Choose not to answer
Not applicable to the NC Department of Agriculture
ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT
Which comes closest to your view? (Select all that apply) A) Stricter environmental laws and regulations cost too many jobs and hurt the economy. B) Stricter environmental laws and regulations are worth the cost. C) Stricter environmental laws undermine U.S. energy independence and deter development of reliable electricity sources. D) Climate change is real and requires urgent policy action.
Having a poorly maintained work environment leads to a less successful business. I am suspicious of anyone who insists that we have to choose between the environment and the economy, as there are many ways that sound conservation approaches and good (and profitable) business practices work hand-in-hand. Projects, approaches, and regulations need to make sense.
