Keeping the lights on! Against independent and government findings, he says commission regulators and industry did not mess up during the blackout. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it. padding-bottom: 5px; background: #4c4c4c; .votebox_legend .non_result_row { This information was current as of the candidate's run for Texas Railroad Commission in 2022. } padding-bottom: 5px; The two main contenders in this year's race for commissioner are incumbent Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Luke Warford. .election_results_text { 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. The two main contenders in this year's race for commissioner are incumbent Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Luke Warford. In a one-minute video accompanying his campaign launch, Warford puts it more dramatically. IN DEPTH: What does the Texas Railroad Commissioner do, and whos running? display: inline; Submitted Biography: "I am an experienced oil and gas attorney focusing on bringing fair, predictable, and effective leadership to the Railroad Commission of Texas. There were no incumbents in this race. .inner_percentage.Libertarian { Help us provide information on American politics. margin-top: 0; }); Its amazing how many people have no clue what a railroad commissioner does, Scott Hommel, chair of the Republican Party of Lamar County, told the audience. And those things just simply aren't political., The truth of it is the greatest scam in the history of our nation is this green environmentalism extremism catastrophism, Christian said in a recent interview on a YouTube show called The Crude Truth. He was a member of a country/gospel band that was a finalist for a Grammy Award in 1979. .non_result_row th { | I feel like Im using my platform well, she told KUT after giving remarks to the group of residents, activists and Democratic politicians. .votebox-results-cell--number { Texans shelter in a furniture store in Houston after a massive winter storm in February knocked out heat and electricity for millions of residents. background-color: #dac113; = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { background-color: #f4f4f4; .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper .image-candidate-thumbnail { Apr 2 Give me a good dog, and Ill give you a country - Ponce de Leon Happy Birthday font-weight: 200; Christian avoided talking about the power grid and last years winter freeze, even when asked by Rice-Tims about the future of the grid. } height: auto; } letter-spacing: .04em; By Mose Buchele, KUT November 3, 2022 10:33 am Government & Politics, KUT Warford campaign site & Julia Reihs, KUT In a lot of ways this election cycle for this race is totally different than any that weve seen before, says Warford, because the issues are just way more in peoples faces.. The incident (in which Christian denied any wrongdoing) was emblematic of a state agency whose elected commissioners are overwhelmingly funded by the industry they regulate, a practice recently documented in a series of reports from the watchdog group Commission Shift. width: 65px; Texas is holding an election for one of three seats on the Texas Railroad Commission on November 5, 2024. The primary is March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff is May 28, 2024. The filing deadline is December 11, 2023. There are no official candidates yet for this election. Note: The following list includes official candidates only. .votebox-results-metadata { Detroit, MI 48211. .votebox_legend { What was your very first job? Operations: Meghann Olshefski Mandy Morris Kelly Rindfleisch background-color: #db0000; I see my fellow politicians saying, Were for all of the above energy! That, I disagree with. Do you believe that it's beneficial for holders of this office to have previous experience in government or politics? Everyday your story is being told by someone. }); I kind of re-energize campaigns that are now kind of tired.. background-color: #dac113; margin-right: 10px; chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-down'); 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. overflow-x: scroll; Are we angry that I looked good on a pumpjack?. Two candidates will be on the ballot in the May runoff, current Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian and oil & gas attorney Sarah Stogner. background-color: #003388; padding-bottom: 0px; font-weight: 100; The commission and how theyre enforcing the rules or not enforcing the rules is distorting the market. And those things just simply arent political., The truth of it is the greatest scam in the history of our nation is this green environmentalism extremism catastrophism, Christian said in a recent interview on a YouTube show called The Crude Truth. 2 Sarah Stogner is a lawyer and political candidate Who is Texas Railroad Commissioner candidate Sarah Stogner? position: absolute; .race_header.republican { display: block; Heading into the election, the other two members of the Texas Railroad Commission were Christi Craddick (R) and James Wright (R).[6]. background-color: green; How old were you at the time? The Railroad Commission of Texas has been called one of the most consequential climate-related offices in the country. $("div.vis_widget_title").each(function(index) { .inner_percentage { color: #6db24f; position: relative; 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. padding-top: 3px; Did it help him decide who he will vote for? margin-bottom: -2px !important; 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. TThey still view themselves as the managers of the Texas economy, he says. padding-top: 8px; top: -5px; A new bill would change that, U.S. Army grounds aviators for training after fatal crashes. width: 100%; Incumbents are bolded and underlined. .inner_percentage { .votebox-results-cell--number { } padding-left: 20px !important; The crowded primary race for a seat on the Railroad Commission was too close to call late Tuesday night, but by Wednesday morning, 98.6% of the votes had been counted and Christian had secured 47.1% of the votes, falling short of the 50% needed to win the election outright. 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. border-bottom: 1px solid grey; What are we angry about? } There were no incumbents in this race. He holds masters degrees in Latin American Studies and Journalism from UT Austin. background-color: #003388; height: 56px; } .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { Contact our sales team. They finally convicted Thomas the Tank Engine. And he thinks climate change is not real. | $("div.vis_widget_title").each(function(index) { .votebox-results-cell--check { External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell The Railroad Commission has three members who are elected to six-year staggered terms such that one commissioner is up for election every two years. color:white; The winner will face Democrat Luke Warford, a former top staffer for the Texas Democratic Party, in the November general election. Webt. .results_text { This is ground zero for Climate Justice - it starts at extraction. color: #0645ad; After Rice-Tims asked about flaring, Stogner said she wanted to ensure that oil production companies are not releasing excessive carbon emissions and polluting the air. color: #888; } 1, there is no ethics filing or ethics complaint against me right now in the state of Texas, Christian said. background-color: grey; } Show us with your support. } margin: 0px 10px; A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50 th Texas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016.. } } Incumbents are bolded and underlined. Eventually, the Legislature added oil and gas drilling permits, surface mining, natural gas utilities, and oil and gas pipelines to the agencys purview while moving regulation of railroads to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2005. But for Christian, who argues that whats good for the oil industry is good for Texas, a coziness with industry is not necessarily a bad thing. Hommel, who won election earlier this year to chair the Lamar County Republicans, said the event helped the crowd learn more about the candidates and the agency that many Texans dont really understand. padding-left: 8px; Wayne Christian 2022 campaign website, "About Wayne Christian," accessed March 11, 2022. } Stogner received 15.2% of the vote. background-color: grey; display: table; position: relative; position: relative; The Chairman is chosen by the Commissioners. Christian was asked to explain what hes done in his six years on the Railroad Commission to change the agencys name. 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. color:white; } } } Lyndon, Sylvan, Lima, most of Scio and } What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office? display: inline-block; Survey responses from candidates in this race. Mose Buchele is the Austin-based broadcast reporter for KUT's NPR partnership StateImpact Texas . There was one campaign in particular she wanted to talk about. padding: 15px 15px 5px 15px; Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. He has been on staff at KUT 90.5 since 2009, covering local and state issues. } overflow-x: scroll; line-height: 1.5em; The results have been certified. Religion is something he brings up often on the stump. Comptroller } padding-bottom: 8px; font-size: 20px; text-align: left; Incumbent Wayne Christian won election in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission. padding-left: 16px; In the case of a vacancy, the Governor appoints a replacement. Putting Texans to work to provide clean, reliable, affordable energy; 2. Historic District Commission Meeting. In that primary, Christian received 47.1% of the vote and Stogner was second with 15.2%. This year, he says, his party has a chance. margin-right: 12px; Chrysta Castaeda and Roberto Alonzo advanced to a runoff. float: left; Click here to contact our editorial staff, and click here to report an error. This section includes candidate profiles created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff compiled a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. } They like what I do with oil and gas in Texas, Christian said. background-color: #f9d334; } by Mitchell Ferman margin: 0; display: flex; The results have been certified. Chrysta Castaeda defeated Roberto Alonzo in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas Railroad Commission on July 14, 2020. WebMenu Elections > 2022 > States > Railroad Commissioner. Counties | } color: #fff; Incumbents are bolded and underlined. width: 100%; } letter-spacing: .03em; } })(); tusa-race-stage-summary, tusa-person-summary, tusa-filing-dates { } Cities | Source1Source2. } .votebox_legend .non_result_row { Elections in 2023 | overflow-y: auto; Christian's professional experience includes working in business, banking, and real estate and owning a financial services business. The two main contenders in this year's race for commissioner are incumbent Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Luke Warford. Incumbent Wayne Christian defeated Luke Warford, Jaime Dez, and Hunter Crow in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 8, 2022. .results_table_container { The incident (in which Christian denied any wrongdoing) was emblematic of a state agency whose elected commissioners are overwhelmingly funded by the industry they regulate, a practice recently documented in a series of reports from the watchdog group Commission Shift. float: left; .non_result_row div { } "I see my fellow politicians saying, 'Were for all of the above energy! That, I disagree with. Railroad Commissioners need to be knowledgeable about the Texas energy sector. } color: #888; What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder? } .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper .image-candidate-thumbnail { Im finding that there are these offices that wield tremendous power when it comes to the climate, she said with a little chuckle, like the Railroad Commission.. } .inner_percentage.Republican { width: 35px !important; .electionsectionheading { For more information about the Republican primary runoff, click here. } overflow-y: hidden; 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, WebCandidates and election results General election General election for Texas Railroad Commission Incumbent Wayne Christian defeated Luke Warford, Jaime Dez, and Hunter top: -1px; .non_result_row { text-align: left !important; For Wayne Christian, the good stuff means fossil fuels. There is no office that is more corrupt than the Texas Railroad Commission, Warford says. Early voting runs May 16-20. by Mitchell Ferman position: absolute; Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? overflow: hidden; U.S. President | Elected officials should serve the public, rather than their campaign donors. e. Texas state elections in 2020 were held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020. display: none; They found out he had a loco motive. They still view themselves as the managers of the Texas economy, he says. .race_header.democratic { .inner_percentage.Democratic { height: 56px; .results_table { I am committed to social and economic justice for all -- that includes addressing issues of defunding and demilitarizing the police and granting civilian review boards subpoena power; legalizing cannabis in ways that create restorative justice, making up for decades of discrimination in arrests for possession; abolishing ICE; addressing systemic racism and standing up for the rights of the LGBTQIA+ community. External Relations: Moira Delaney Hannah Nelson Caroline Presnell 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. 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. School districts | margin-bottom:16px; As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. width: 50%; padding-top: 3px; left: 0; James Wright defeated Chrysta Castaeda, Matt Sterett, and Katija Gruene in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 3, 2020. .image-candidate-thumbnail { Just as important as industry knowledge, however, is the ability to communicate with legislators, business, and the general public about the work of the Commission. Nothing illegal or immoral, he added, before listing all of his industry endorsements. text-align: center; font-size: 12px; .votebox_legend { border: 1px solid #999; } font-size: 0.9em; Voters will decide the GOP nominee for a commission seat in a May 24 runoff election. max-width: 75px; .non_result_row div { 3. How to run for office | } Recently, Christians campaign said it would finally drop the slogan after being called bigoted by Warford, who is Jewish. Incumbent Wayne Christian and Sarah Stogner advanced to a runoff. .votebox-scroll-container { background-color: #6db24f; if (typeof $ != 'undefined') { } There are no official candidates yet for this election. } Religion is something he brings up often on the stump. display: block; ", Sources: Fonda was also there to bring money from her climate-change-focused political action committee to state political races and to whip up votes for the Democrats. } max-width: 600px; margin-right: 12px; @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { border-radius: 0 0 7px 7px; .results_table { Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2020, Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2018, Texas railroad commission official website, State executive officials serving in home states, Ken Carbullido, Vice President of Election Product and Technology Strategy, https://ballotpedia.org/wiki/index.php?title=Texas_Railroad_Commissioner_election,_2024&oldid=8888240, Pages using DynamicPageList3 dplreplace parser function, Conflicts in school board elections, 2021-2022, Special Congressional elections (2023-2024), 2022 Congressional Competitiveness Report, State Executive Competitiveness Report, 2022, State Legislative Competitiveness Report, 2022, Partisanship in 2022 United States local elections. } The winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Luke Warford in the November general election. .inner_percentage.Green { Show us with your support. width: 90%; background-color: #f4f4f4; What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system? overflow-y: auto; @media only screen and (min-width: 600px) { @media screen and (max-width: 350px) { .votebox-scroll-container { PublishedNovember 1, 2022 at 1:53 PM CDT. color: #888; chevron.removeClass('fa-chevron-up'); display: inline-block; Remember to call 811 before you dig. .race_header.green { } I would say the first Historical event of my lifetime would be the election of President Barack Obama are first African American President of the united states. District 1 (Chelsea and Dexter. chevron.addClass('fa-chevron-up'); } VoterInfobyState_Resized = true; They still view themselves as the managers of the Texas economy, he says. width: 90%; Tech: Matt Latourelle Ryan Burch Kirsten Corrao Beth Dellea Travis Eden Tate Kamish Margaret Kearney Eric Lotto Joseph Sanchez. left: 0px; vertical-align: top; width: 350px; } .race_header.republican { margin-bottom: 0px; Source. .mw-body #mw-content-text .votebox .race_header h3.votebox-header-office-name { top: 2px; } .inner_percentage.CrossFiled { } There were no incumbents in this race. .mw-body #mw-content-text th.votebox-results-cell--text { width: 100%; ", On his campaign website, Christian said, "A clean environment and a thriving oil and gas industry are not mutually exclusive. clearInterval(nTimer); margin: 8px auto; } Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? } width: 100% !important; padding-bottom: 5px; The Railroad Commission oversees the oil & gas industry in Texas, which makes it one of the most important elected offices in the state for the future of our economy and our environment. Help us provide information on American politics. J. David Goodman, reporting from Houston Mar 1, 2022 George P. Bush appears to color:white; This agency is supposed to be a consumer protection agency, but it has become an industry protection agency. Public policy, Communications: Alison Graves Carley Allensworth Abigail Campbell Sarah Groat Erica Shumaker Caitlin Vanden Boom text-align: left; Ballotpedia features 408,463 encyclopedic articles written and curated by our professional staff of editors, writers, and researchers. } --title-background: #334aab; padding-bottom: 7px; Stogner did not accept campaign contributions and attracted much of the attention she has received after her seminude stunt. padding-top: 3px; The primary is March 5, 2024, and a primary runoff is May 28, 2024. margin-top: 0px; Lawmakers havent seemed interested, so Christian said he instead helped spur the agency to change its logo, which now has Leading Texas energy and listing oil and gas, coal and pipelines beneath larger RRC letters. letter-spacing: .04em; display: inline; chevron.removeClass('fa-chevron-down'); background-color: #6db24f; Were for the good stuff!. Source1Source2Source3. Should inmates in Texas be eligible for early parole if they exhibit good behavior? width: 50px; U.S. Congress | font-size: 20px; The biggest threat we currently have is political, Christian said, before launching into criticism of efforts to curb climate change that often take aim at the oil and gas industry. Promote environmental, social, and governance (ESG) efforts across all energy sectors. } There were no incumbents in this race. max-width: 75px; } .panel-body p { .results_row { padding-bottom: 3px; Well, hes a career politician and shes got some good ideas, Gaines said. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well. text-align: left !important; padding-bottom: 0px; The climate catastrophists have made a religion of what they do, he said in the same YouTube interview. A drop in natural gas supply was a leading cause of the grid failure. Christian faces an unusual opponent in the runoff election. margin-right: 10px; .inner_percentage.Libertarian { font-size: 0.9em; margin: 0 !important; } In order to manage the Texas economy, they want to help and nurture a healthy petroleum industry., I dont think Wayne Christian and the current Railroad commissioners are supporting the industry as a whole, Warford says. widget_load_check_jquery(); As Commissioner I will ensure that Texans maintains its energy leadership of the last hundred years for hundreds of years to come. At a time when newsroom resources and revenue across the country are declining, The Texas Tribune remains committed to sustaining our mission: creating a more engaged and informed Texas with every story we cover, every event we convene and every newsletter we send. Its actually undermining the market.. What was the last song that got stuck in your head? The Commission also could have prevented the 2021 Texas grid failure which left millions of people without power and cost hundreds of Texans their lives. padding-bottom: 8px; font-size: 16px; } width: 50%; .outer_percentage { .mw-content-ltr td.votebox-results-cell--text, $('.collapse').collapse('hide'); position: relative; Statewide Railroad Commissioner - Austin American-Statesman top: -1px; background-color: #ccc; } font-weight: 300; Stogner said after being told to sit down, be quiet, you silly little girl her whole life, she went on to start her own law firm and learn to fly planes. Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2024, Apply for the Ballotpedia Fellows Program, Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2024, Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2022. complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. font-size: 1.25em; padding:7px 8px 8px; position: relative; The Railroad Commission of Texas has been called one of the most consequential climate-related offices in the country. Were angry that I got half-naked on a pumpjack? When someone asked whether she supported shutting down the Keystone XL pipeline project a partially built series of pipelines between Canada and the U.S. that President Joe Biden canceled on his first day in office she said Absolutely not and explained that the Railroad Commission doesnt have jurisdiction over interstate pipelines like Keystone. As a nonprofit newsroom, we rely on members to help keep our stories free and our events open to the public. } background-color: #db0000; width: 100%; A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin | Contact us, A service of the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin, problems along the natural gas supply chain, Despite a ban on the practice, many churches use their pulpit to support or oppose political candidates, Republicans have historically embraced small-town Texas. text-align: center; background-color: #dac113; text-align: left !important; I kind of re-energize campaigns that are now kind of tired.. .votebox-scroll-container { by Mitchell Ferman The Railroad Commission also helps ensure that companies follow state and federal rules on safety and pollution. Warford was unopposed in the Democratic primary. } font-size: 12px; .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper .image-candidate-thumbnail { } } if (chevron.hasClass('fa-chevron-up')) { font-weight: 300; The primary was scheduled for March 1, 2022, and a primary runoff was scheduled for May 24, 2022. "We need someone with oilfield experience overseeing the industry who isnt bought and paid for," Stogner told the Tribune. Im running to keep the lights on. }); AUSTIN (KXAN) The Democrat running to unseat the Republican chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas announced an endorsement Monday from the incumbents former primary challenger. height: 22px; If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, Register with a federal or state campaign finance agency before the candidate filing deadline, Appear on candidate lists released by government election agencies. position: absolute; | .electionsectionheading { Stogner homed in on Christians lack of oil and gas experience compared to her decade as an oil and gas lawyer and what she sees as Christians desire to do whatever the oil and gas industry wants. 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. } Democrat Luke Warford is challenging incumbent Wayne Christian for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission. font-style: italic; Candidates of the same party will compete in primary contests on Aug. 2. A Metro-North Railroad train crew has been captured on video saving a 3-year-old who got onto train tracks near New York City. font-size: 2em; } z-index:1; } }, 100); How long did you have it? (Christian did not respond to KUTs request for an interview.). .answers-container { font-size: 12px; max-height: 580px; .electionsectionheading { The winner will face Democrat Luke Warford in the November general election. .inner_percentage.Libertarian { State and local courts | letter-spacing: 0.03em; .votebox-results-metadata { } width: 35px !important; Note: The following list includes official candidates only. .image-candidate-thumbnail-wrapper { .answer-photo-container { I disagree that were for all. Both candidates had advanced to the runoff because no candidate received more than 50% of the vote in the March 1 primary. padding-left: 8px; } padding-bottom: 3px; Do you value our journalism? General election candidates for the Republican primary are: incumbent Wayne Christian, Tom Slocum Jr., Sarah Stogner, Marvin Summers, and Dawayne Tipton for Texas Railroad Commission on March 1, 2022. }, .expand-all:hover, .collapse-all:hover {cursor: pointer; text-decoration: underline;} .mw-content-ltr td.votebox-results-cell--text, overflow: hidden; } Source. Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page. When he finished, Rice-Tims, Hommel and the audience started asking questions starting with the name thing.