Franklin County a frequent stop as Sparks campaigns for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries

For many statewide political candidates, Franklin County warrants nothing beyond a token visit on their way to a larger county.

But Ron Sparks doesn’t need a road map to find Franklin County.

From his days as Alabama’s Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Sparks has always been well-connected with Franklin County.

So it’s no surprise that Sparks, as he campaigns this fall to win the office he faithfully served in for eight years, has made regular campaign stops in Franklin County, and he’s not done yet.

Sparks attended the grand opening of a local family dairy in July, and last week he visited Red Bay and Russellville meeting voters and renewing old acquaintances in Franklin County.

Sparks is the Democratic nominee for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. He will face Republican nominee Corey Hill in the November 3rd general election.

“I have a lot of good friends in your part of the state. Unfortunately, through the years I’ve lost quite a few,” said the 73-year-old Sparks. “Russellville and Franklin County have a place in my heart. I’ve worked with a lot of people in your area and I don’t need GPS to get me to Northwest Alabama and Franklin County.”

Sparks served as ag commissioner from 2003-2011. He served as Assistant Commissioner of Agriculture starting in 1999. In 2010, he was the Democratic nominee for governor before falling to Robert Bentley in the general election.

Sparks emphasizes his experience as a selling point to voters. And he’s set forth a specific plan to help Alabama’s farmers for years to come.

“With my experience, it won’t take me a long time to get acclimated to the office. I had 12 years with the Department of Agriculture, so going in I’ll know what to do from day one.

“Farmers in Alabama are really struggling. I want to do something to help them survive. I have a plan and if we win on November 3rd, we can get it implemented, really helping our farmers’ futures,” he added.

Sparks’ plan starts with removing the 1.5 cent sales tax on agricultural farming equipment. With the significant cost of tractors, combines, etc., removing that sales tax could make the difference in whether a farmers buys new equipment he needs or doesn’t.

Second, Sparks has compiled an Alabama agriculture enhancement program, similar to Tennessee’s, to help put up to $300 million back in the pockets of Alabama farmers.

“We don’t do enough for our farmers in Alabama. They need some help, especially now, and I will do everything I can to get that done,” Sparks said.

Sparks shared his concerns about what he describes as a ‘weakening of the Agriculture Department’s enforcement efforts’ in recent years, and pledges to reverse that trend.

During Sparks’ tenure, the department had a law enforcement arm it no longer has. He plans to change that.

“We used to go in on puppy mills, dog fighting, prosecuted cattle theft aggressively, enforced food safety laws and enforced fuel pump accuracy,” Sparks said. “I want to bring the law enforcement agency of the Department of Agriculture back. Why it was ever cut, Lord only knows.”

Whether through his office, or working in partnership with the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency to increase enforcement, Sparks vows to restore the law enforcement arm of the department not only for Alabama’s farmers, but its consumers as well.

“I had a staff of inspectors checking gas pumps and gas quality. They made sure when someone bought a gallon of gas, and paid for a gallon of gas, they got a gallon of gas. If you buy 93 octane, we need to make sure that’s what you’re getting,” Sparks said. “With vast cuts to this department, they’re down to just a handful of inspectors. And owners are now hiring private companies to come and check their pumps.” 

Finally, Sparks wants to reprioritize food safety in Alabama.

He said this includes protecting consumers from foreign seafood that doesn’t meet Alabama minimum standards or that contains harmful chemicals and contaminants.

In his eight years as Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries, Sparks’ office worked closely with Alabama Attorney General Troy King’s office.

In an unusual move in today’s partisan political world, King, a Republican, crossed party lines last month and endorsed Sparks, calling him the most qualified candidate to serve Alabama.

While Sparks doesn’t try to hide his Democratic affiliation, but says he doesn’t agree with Washington liberals and doesn’t care what those folks think.

“I will have people in my administration not based on party affiliation, but based on qualifications. I care about how we can best serve the people of Alabama and serve with distinction,” Sparks said.

Sparks carried Franklin County both times he ran for Commissioner of Agriculture and Industries. And he asks voters to look at his record while in office, not just his party affiliation.

Sparks served as President of the National Association of Departments of Agriculture, and he was elected Presidentof the Southern Association of Departments of Agriculture.

“We always had one common goal, and that was what can we do for agriculture? Unless we get back there, how many farms are we going to lose in Alabama the next few years? How much farmland will we lose?,” Sparks said.

“What can we do to bridge that gap? I have the experience to do just that and that’s why I’m back in the game in 2026,” he added.