height: 22px; } .outer_percentage { We live in a time of tremendous innovation and change, but the Railroad Commission has done little to move Texas energy forward, including in the wake of last years devastating winter storm. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { } .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h5.votebox-header-election-type { Texas is holding an election for one of three seats on the Texas Railroad Commission on November 5, 2024. Warford is the only Democratic candidate. .inner_percentage, .inner_percentage.Nonpartisan, .inner_percentage.Independent, .inner_percentage.Constitution, .inner_percentage.unknown { They defeated Kelly Stone and Mark Watson in the Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 3, 2020. .race_header { Since taking office, Commissioner Christian has been appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission (IOGCC) as the Official Representative of Texas. Operations: Meghann Olshefski Mandy Morris Kelly Rindfleisch .race_footer { | In order to manage the Texas economy, they want to help and nurture a healthy petroleum industry., I don't think Wayne Christian and the current Railroad commissioners are supporting the industry as a whole, Warford says. } position: relative; This information was current as of the candidate's run for Texas Railroad Commission in 2022. } More than a year after the winter freeze, the Railroad Commission hasnt crafted rules for how oil and gas companies should prepare for extreme weather. } } Marvin Sarge " Summers, the fifth GOP candidate vying for the position died in a car wreck in Midland in early February. float: left; Your gift helps pay for everything you find ontexasstandard.organdKUT.org. background-color: green; } The Texas Railroad Commission, along with the Governor, is the office with the most power to ensure that a grid failure like the one that happened last February never happens again. VoterInfobyState_Timeout_dom = setTimeout(widget_load_check_dom, 500); overflow-y: auto; position: absolute; Crystal Lyte, left, and Stephen Lange Ranzini, right, are both running for a Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners seat representing District 2 in the Aug. 2, If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. } .non_result_row { David Prindle, a political science professor at UT Austin who wrote a book on the Railroad Commission, says thats a position commissioners have held basically since the start of the Texas oil industry. WebFreight Railroad Conductor - Detroit. @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { I have a unique mix of private sector and political experience that allows me to understand the concerns of business in the Texas energy sector, while also being acutely aware of how this office should put the safety of all Texans first. top: 2px; max-height: 580px; padding-left: 16px; background-color: #ccc; .inner_percentage.Libertarian { } display: inline-block; } padding-bottom: 8px; Roman McAllen defeated Chris Spellmon in the Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 6, 2018. } The Railroad Commission of Texas April is Safe Digging Month! Voters will decide the GOP nominee for a commission seat in a May 24 runoff election. text-align: center; Incumbent Christi Craddick defeated Roman McAllen and Mike Wright in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 6, 2018. I worked at a kayak rental business near the coast from when I was 14 until I went to college. } For more on how we identify key messages, click here. Early voting runs May 16-20. by Mitchell Ferman Republican primary candidates, = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.Third Party convention candidates. Public policy, Communications: Alison Graves Carley Allensworth Abigail Campbell Sarah Groat Erica Shumaker Caitlin Vanden Boom color: #0645ad; chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-down'); Texas has been a global energy leader for decades and the energy industry is vital to providing affordable and reliable energy here in Texas, around the country, and around the world. I disagree that were for all. The Railroad Commission should establish a clear weatherization standard, identify critical gas producers, and ensure preparations for the next winter storm are actually completed. Get your TribFest tickets by May 31 and save big! The results have been certified. Thats because the agency does not regulate railroads; it regulates oil and gas in the state. .non_result_row div { Click on a candidate's name to view that candidate's responses. margin-right: 10px; Current members of the Commission receive 70% of their campaign donations from the industry they are supposed to regulate, making it ineffective. As the youngest statewide Democratic candidate in more than 30 years in Texas, I will bring a fresh perspective to the Texas Railroad Commission. } a[aria-expanded=true] .fa-chevron-right { font-size: 0.9em; width: 100%; Jaime Dez advanced from the Libertarian convention for Texas Railroad Commission on April 10, 2022. padding-top: 3px; Thanks for donating today. } Christian, who received generally friendly questions throughout the night, was asked at one point about corruption allegations that surfaced after he voted against the recommendation of Railroad Commission staff to approve a permit for an oil field waste dump facility, then days later accepted a $100,000 campaign donation from the company that received the permit. background-color: #6db24f; .inner_percentage.Democratic { Copyright 2022 KUT 90.5. Religion is something he brings up often on the stump. } } font-size: 12px; background-color: #f9d334; Christian said the U.S. produces oil in a cleaner and more environmentally conscious way than the worlds other large energy producers such as China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. James Wright defeated Chrysta Castaeda, Matt Sterett, and Katija Gruene in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 3, 2020. vertical-align: top; .results_row td { } } Policy-wise, Warford supports renaming the commission so it makes sense to voters, creating a natural gas market monitor to guard against price gouging, increasing the weatherization of gas infrastructure, and reducing greenhouse gas and other emissions from Texas fossil fuel operations. left: 0px; To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here. padding-left: 8px; Source, = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. .votebox-results-metadata { }. background-color: #003388; display: inline-block; Christian's website described him as a businessman and said, "Throughout his first term, Christian developed a strong record of fighting against frivolous regulations and standing strong for free markets and American Energy Dominance. Christian's professional experience includes working in business, banking, and real estate and owning a financial services business. Rice-Tims is president of the Republican Women of Red River Valley, which co-hosted the late April forum for the two GOP candidates facing each other in a runoff election for Railroad Commission of Texas, and she also wanted to emphasize that the state agency overseeing the states oil and gas industry has nothing to do with railroads. background-color: #f4f4f4; } .results_text { The dental floss, Vaseline and variety of plastic-wrapped goods were intended to underscore to the dozens of attendees the importance of oil and gas to everyday life. padding-left: 0; } There were no incumbents in this race. by Mitchell Ferman position: absolute; U.S. Congress | position: absolute; But the catchphrase has struck many others as insensitive or anti-Semitic, a critique that came up in 2014 when Christian faced a primary opponent who was Jewish. They defeated Tom Slocum Jr., Marvin Summers, and Dawayne Tipton in the Republican primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 1, 2022. padding-bottom: 7px; background: #4c4c4c; Then he pledged to push the state GOP to change the agencys name: My voice will not be silenced in changing the name of the Railroad Commission, because people need to know what that is.. padding-bottom: 0px; } .non_result_row div { The results have been certified. WebCandidates and election results General election General election for Texas Railroad Commission Incumbent Wayne Christian defeated Luke Warford, Jaime Dez, and Hunter Full-time. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. .votebox-covid-disclaimer { Despite the old-timey-sounding name, a seat on the Railroad Commission of Texas has been called one of the most consequential climate-related offices in the country. } Luke Warford advanced from the Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 1, 2022. Preventing federal intervention in Texas energy regulation (we can govern ourselves); 3. width: 100%; margin: 0; If you were near the Mount Carmel apartments in East Austin on a recent sunny morning you might have spotted an unlikely celebrity in a little crowd gathered on the lawn. Railroad Commissioner display: block; The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. Everyday your story is being told by someone. Source1Source2Source3. Webt. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat, and Joe Lombardo, the Las Vegas-area sheriff who was endorsed by Donald Trump. } } .inner_percentage.Libertarian { Christian is a former gospel 2 first-time primary candidates vie for northeastern Washtenaw margin-top: 16px; The Chairman is chosen by the Commissioners. WebCommissioner Wayne Christian. padding-top: 3px; We need an eco-socialist Green New Deal and a workers' bill of rights. overflow-x: scroll; The core responsibilities of the Texas Railroad Commission are implementing and enforcing existing laws and regulations governing the oil and gas industry, directing Commission resources towards particular issues and areas of concern, and educating the public about the issues the Commission is working on and any other business that comes before the Commission. I kind of re-energize campaigns that are now kind of tired.. The primary is March 5, 2024, and a primary Well, hes a career politician and shes got some good ideas, Gaines said. problems along the natural gas supply chain, 5 people, including an 8-year-old, were killed in a shooting near Houston, Brittney Griner says she's 'never going overseas' again after her detention, More than a third of Texas prisons don't have air conditioning. } margin-top: 16px; width: 65px; There is no office that is more corrupt than the Texas Railroad Commission, Warford says. Through his years of campaigning, Christian has often urged voters to support the only Christian on the ballot. He says the slogan is a way to get his name out, which is especially useful when running for an obscure political office that most people dont know much about. ", Apply for the Ballotpedia Fellows Program, Federal and state primary competitiveness, Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. .inner_percentage.Republican { } if (typeof VoterInfobyState_Toggle === 'undefined') { New York City to hand out 500 free Apple AirTags to deter car thefts font-size: 12px; to ensure the people and planet are protected from the industries the RRC regulates. In that primary, Christian received 47.1% of the vote and Stogner was second with 15.2%. Christian was up first and talked about how Texas has exported liquified natural gas to help Europe during its energy crisis following Russias invasion of Ukraine, the importance of oil and gas to the nations economy and how Democrats are trying to abolish the industry in the name of slowing climate change. } They found out he had a loco motive. line-height: 1.5em; Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, left, is heading into a runoff in May with Sarah Stogner, who came in second place. } As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. letter-spacing: 0.03em; chevron.removeClass('fa-chevron-down'); .panel-body p { font-weight: bold; Joe Gaines, an oil and gas businessman, attended the event and said he wanted to see if it could help him make up his mind about who to support in the May 24 election. font-weight: 100; background-color: #f9d334; padding-left: 0; } Transparency is a vital part of making the Railroad Commission work effectively, and if the public doesnt feel like their needs are being met, and that the Railroad Commission is advocating for their concerns, as the people of Texas feel right now, then the Railroad Commission is failing its duty to Texans. This office is unique and important because the Railroad Commission regulates the oil & gas industries as well as coal and uranium extraction. In particular, it is important to know how the oil and gas industry operates, but Commissioners must also be up-to-date on new technologies and have an ability to stay current on energy production trends. } Through his years of campaigning, Christian has often urged voters to support the only Christian on the ballot. He says the slogan is a way to get his name out, which is especially useful when running for an obscure political office that most people dont know much about. } Source. font-weight: 300; } Railroad Commission candidates text-align: center; letter-spacing: .03em; chevron = $(this).find('i.fa-pull-right'); background-color: #db0000; Counties | background-color: #db0000; Two candidates will be on the ballot in the May runoff, current Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian and oil & gas attorney Sarah Stogner. Commissioners The two main contenders in this year's race for commissioner are incumbent Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Luke Warford. font-weight: 300; width: 350px; display: block; Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. background-color: grey; .votebox { } @media only screen and (min-width: 600px) { The winner will face Democrat Luke Warford, a former top staffer for the Texas Democratic Party, in the November general election. During the interview, Tipton criticized Christians tenure as railroad commissioner. border-left: 1px solid #ddd; What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline? .percentage_number { Christian said the state Legislature, not the Railroad Commission itself, has the authority to change the agencys name. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? For more information about the Republican primary runoff, click here. What were the early voting start and end dates? chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-down'); } } Christian is a former gospel singer turned financial adviser turned longtime Texas politician. border-radius: 50%; A drop in natural gas supply was a leading cause of the grid failure. padding-bottom: 7px; } --progress-bar: #f0a236; May 11, 20225 AM Central. The chair of the Texas Railroad Commission fell short of winning at least 50% of the vote and will face oil and gas attorney Sarah Stogner in May. They still view themselves as the managers of the Texas economy, he says. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell Source. The primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for May 24, 2022. Mose Buchele is the Austin-based broadcast reporter for KUT's NPR partnership StateImpact Texas . .votebox-results-cell--check { color: #888; font-weight: 300; He has been on staff at KUT 90.5 since 2009, covering local and state issues. } $("div.vis_widget_title").each(function(index) { max-width: 75px; height: 22px; font-style: italic; Matt Sterett defeated Charlie Stevens in the Libertarian convention for Texas Railroad Commission on August 3, 2020. font-size: 12px; } } Christian avoided talking about the power grid and last years winter freeze, even when asked by Rice-Tims about the future of the grid. padding-left: 8px; .votebox-scroll-container { text-align: center; .votebox_legend { font-style: italic; This year, he says, his party has a chance. } State legislature | Its hard for Texans to know whats going on with the Railroad Commission when the current Commissioners fail to provide transparency around the issuing of permits and decision-making that is designed to help their campaign donors at the expense of public safety. font-size: 2em; The filing deadline is December 11, 2023. } max-height: 580px; } I disagree that were for all. Chrysta Castaeda and Roberto Alonzo advanced to a runoff. } } Christian said on his website that he has a record of fighting against unnecessary regulations and said he "believes all regulations should be consistent, predictable, and based on sound science.
