Your guide to voting in the 2022 Texas primary elections Texas Railroad Commissioner Qualifications: What training, experience and background qualify you for this position? Tipton has won the support of the editorial boards of most of the states major papers, including the Houston Chronicle and the Dallas Morning News. There was one campaign in particular she wanted to talk about. We expect candidates for public office to model civil discourse and decorum worthy of the publics trust. We report on vital issues from politics to education and are the indispensable authority on the Texas scene, covering everything from music to cultural events with insightful recommendations. Vote 2022 Texas; . Stogner said she wished the Express-News had waited to hear what she had to say before it pulled the endorsement, Fox News reported. Whats Up With All the Kangaroos on the Loose in Texas? Im tired of people telling me things are impossible, she said. For additional information or appointment inquiries, please contact: Jeremy HagenE: jeremy.hagen@rrc.texas.govP: 512-463-7131orWayne Christian P: 512-463-7131E: wayne.christian@rrc.texas.gov, Copyright 2022 | Railroad Commission of Texas. 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. Take the political quiz to see which Railroad Commissioner candidates match your politicalbeliefs. Q: Do you think more needs to be done to regulate natural gas facilities when it comes to weatherization? Wayne Christian * (Republican) . Incumbent mayor Steve Adler was term-limited and could not run for re-election. Christian said he has never allowed a political contribution to influence my decisions in elected office and said the agencys general counsel advised him to approve the permit for the waste facility with the requirement that the company use a geosynthetic clay liner to protect the environment and remain consistent with other similar permits granted by the Commission. , I am running a positive campaign based on my record, Christian said in the email. We cant do this at the cost of safe air., Michael Williams, a railroad commissioner from 1999 to 2011 who went on to lead the Texas Education Agency, said in an interview that while Christian is a good friend, Im impressed with Stogner. She went on to earn a Bachelor's degree in International Trade and Finance from Louisiana State University, followed by a Juris Doctorate from the Paul M. Hebert Law Center. Ahead of these elections, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Gov. One Candidate Shows Her Breasts. Another Dies - Texas Monthly 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. In the general election, state representative Celia Israel and former . Texas Railroad Commissioner Election Results 2022 - The New York Times Advertisement Senate House Uncalled House Races Top Races Governor Needle Ga. Senate Runoff Senator Raphael Warnock. Do you value our journalism? 2021 Texas Standard. Ive been trying. The top two candidates in races where no one reaches that threshold will meet in runoff contests on May 24. To learn more about ChatGPT and how we can inspire students, we sat down with BestReviews book expert, Ciera Pasturel. Well, heres my Grammy Award-winning video, Wayne.. Daniel Vaughn is the countrys first barbecue editor, and he has eaten more barbecue than you have. PARIS, Texas Deep in Northeast Texas, near the replica Eiffel Tower topped with a red cowboy hat, Cynthia Rice-Tims decorated tables inside the Celebrate It event hall with household products made from petroleum. Neither Christian nor a second GOP challenger, Tom Slocum, has responded to requests for comment by the Chronicle. Christian was asked to explain what hes done in his six years on the Railroad Commission to change the agencys name. Instead, it oversees the Lone Star States oil and gas industry, the network explained. Tickets are on sale now for the 2022 Texas Tribune Festival, happening in downtown Austin on Sept. 22-24. But taking out Gov. Stogners seminude stunt is only the latest twist in what has become the strangest Republican primary campaign for Railroad Commission in decades. The New York Timess results team is a group of graphics editors, engineers and reporters who build and maintain software to publish election results in real-time as they are reported by results providers. May 11, 20225 AM Central. Its free. Here's the lineup: Gary Gates, Republican. Email: Wayne@ChristianForTexas.com Phone: (936) 598-8183 204 Houston St. Center, Texas 75935 Pol. These are the most engaging discussions about this election. This site maintained by Union Labor The Green Party of . At Railroad Commission panel, it's Everyone vs. Wayne Christian - CBS7 Two candidates will be on the ballot in the May runoff, current Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian and oil & gas attorney Sarah Stogner. This is how Im going to communicate to the masses about whats happening out here, because people are visual.. 'I've never seen anything like this': Why a Texas Railroad Commission He has no oil and gas experience he won on a pro-life platform because thats what primary voters cared about in 2016, Stogner said. Nashvilles Best Hotel Selection, Copyright 2019-2022 TXElection.com | Eatmon Media. Companies would be more incentivized to do so if we stopped picking winners and losers and subsidizing unreliable forms of energy., Warford: During the winter storm, as electricity supply dropped, we then cut off electricity supply to some of our most critical natural gas producers. Texas railroad commissioner candidates in Republican primary March 1 Greg Abbott, issued a statement all but conceding, and seeking credit for forcing the governor to the right on issues. 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. 2:28 PM on Feb 17, 2022 CST. Fire Ants Have Unleashed Chaos in Texas for Decades. I kind of re-energize campaigns that are now kind of tired.. The incumbent, Ken Paxton, told supporters that hes preparing for a runoff. 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. This vitally important election of one of the states top energy regulators will have a significant impact on whether Texass natural gas infrastructure freezes up again and contributes to widespread blackouts, as it did a year ago. Greg Abbott, both facing challenges from the right, said parents who helped children get treatments could be pursued for child abuse. Your gift helps pay for everything you find ontexasstandard.organdKUT.org. Meanwhile, the Public Utility Commission of Texas, which regulates power plants, drafted and implemented weatherization rules in October. Zapata flipped to Donald Trump in 2020. While it no longer helps set global oil prices, as it did in the forties and fifties, the Railroad Commission still oversees fossil-fuel production and pipelines. 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. There is no office that is more corrupt than the Texas Railroad Commission, Warford says. Recently, Christians campaign said it would finally drop the slogan after being called bigoted by Warford, who is Jewish. I am the only candidate with the endorsements, campaign infrastructure, and resources necessary to win this race.. Texas Railroad Commissioner | Texas Election Texas Railroad Commissioner Primary Election Results, https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2022/03/01/us/elections/results-texas-railroad-commissioner.html, Edgar Sandoval, reporting from San Antonio, Jennifer Medina, reporting from Laredo, Texas. A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected as our 50thTexas Railroad Commissioner in November 2016. When he accepted a $100,000 campaign donation from a company with business before the Railroad Commission, his GOP primary opponent Sara Stogner accused him of taking bribes.. For Wayne Christian, the good stuff means fossil fuels. Forrest Wilder writes about politics and the outdoors. The Railroad Commission regulates that infrastructure. He and Abbott will go head to head in November. And here we are, its working, she said, listing various news stories about her campaign since the video went public. In 1987, after gaining valuable experience in business, banking and real estate, Wayne Christian opened a financial services businesshe is a three time AIG top advisor nationwide. The things Im talking about are keeping the lights on, lowering utility prices, creating energy jobs, protecting our clean air, making sure people have clean air and clean water, he says. MENU. Throughout the evening, Christian tried to convince the audience that hes the conservative fighter who will protect the states oil and gas sector even if local governments and the free market are increasingly interested in renewable energy sources. Democrat Luke Warford is challenging incumbent Wayne Christian for his seat. I want to talk about winterizing our infrastructure pipelines. Railroad Commission candidates offer opposing visions of what will make The Aransas County Elections & Voter Registration Building, . Railroad Commission candidate who posted semi-nude campaign - CBS7 Perhaps it goes without saying but producing quality journalism isn't cheap. Those issues include: the Texas blackout last year (caused in large part by problems along the natural gas supply chain that the commission regulates); the role big industry donations play in Railroad Commission policy decisions; the current high price of natural gas; and the routine practice of gas flaring in the Texas oil fields, which wastes gas and pollutes the environment. Providence. Editorial: In GOP primary, Stogner would bring change to Railroad This year is different. The primary will take place on May 24, with the general . It is bull crap that were a year in and there has been no major progress on winterization, he told me. When he ran for the Senate four years ago, Democrat Beto ORourke won just 61 percent in the primary. Greg Regan, the president of the AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department, said he has raised safety . Inside the Bro-tastic Party Mansions Upending a Historic Austin Community. 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. 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. The number of rejected ballots in Harris County alone has surpassed the statewide total during the 2020 general election. For example, the Express-News endorsed Nick Moutos in the 2020 Republican primary for the Thirty-fifth Congressional District, calling him easily the most qualified of the Republican candidates. Yet, just a few days before, Moutos had tweeted If @TheDemocrats want civil war, theyd do well to remember #WeThePeople own more guns than the entire population of #America. Unlike Stogner, Moutos didnt say please., When I raised the matter of the Moutos post with Stogner, she replied: I have boobs; welcome to having boobs, Russell. During the course of the debate, local Republicans would ask the candidates incumbent Railroad Commission Chair Wayne Christian, a 71-year-old former state representative and Grammy-nominated gospel singer, and challenger 37-year-old oil and gas lawyer Sarah Stogner what the state has done to improve the states power grid after last years deadly winter storm, what they plan to do about the practice of burning off natural gas through flaring and how strictly the state should regulate the oil and gas industry. 2022 Texas Primary Election: Governor, attorney general, and other 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. I have no personal financial ties to the oil and gas industry.. RepublicanWayne Christian DemocraticLuke Warford LibertarianJamie Andres Diez GreenHunter Wayne Crow Latest 2022 Railroad Commissioner polls We have jurisdiction over intrastate pipelines [that are completely within state borders], which is why you should ask why people died in the freeze, Stogner said. Suggest a missing candidate here. Warford, a 33-year-old Austinite, has centered his campaign on the RRCs role in the power grids failure during the 2021 February winter storm and wanting to make more changes to ensure the grids security in the future. 2023 NYP Holdings, Inc. All Rights Reserved, Texas mom stabs her five children, killing three: cops, Texas ranch of late oil tycoon T. Boone Pickens sells after $80M price cut, Severe weather outbreak produces hurricane-force winds, tornadoes, Cops quit woke Austin in droves, plunging city into crisis: If youre conservative, its a hostile place. Hommel, walking between tables in the audience, seemed impressed. Advanced to runoff I have other assets, GOP lawyer Sarah Stogner, 37, said in a tweet of the campaign clip posted to TikTok. Christian did not respond to criticism of the commissions handling of the grids collapse, but in an email he did rebut allegations from some of his opponents that accepting a big campaign donation from the company that received the oil waste dump permit amounted to a payoff for his vote. The Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas operations in the State of Texas. The Chairman is chosen by the Commissioners. The vast majority of those polled, 74%, said they weren't sure who theyd vote for. Suggest a missing candidate here. During the campaign, Christian who has a big advantage over his opponent in party endorsements and campaign cash to spend has accused Stogner of being pro-abortion, anti-gun and in favor of sexualized content in schools. His campaign has released some of Stogners old tweets, including one that said men shouldnt legislate what decisions women can make about their own bodies (Stay out of my uterus please) and another that questioned the point of legislation aimed at banning critical race theory in Texas schools (But I sure as hell know we need to be teach[ing] kid[s] the reality of slavery and discrimination that still exists). I think they are doing the bidding of a very small number of oil and gas executives. In the last fundraising period, Warford outraised Christian 3:1 and has $318,059 cash on hand compared to Christians $181,412 war chest. And weve been given the moral, I think duty to oversee the proper use of that oil, gas, and coal. Texas election rules require that primary candidates receive at least 50 percent of the vote. During his time in the House, Christian was a leader for the conservative renaissance in the State of Texas and successfully assisted in the fight to elect a Republican majority in the Texas Legislature. I see my fellow politicians saying, Were for all of the above energy! That, I disagree with. I have followed and continue to abide by all Texas Ethics Commission rules regarding when I can accept contributions and have in full transparency reported every contribution I have received. The publicity stunts and mudslinging are a sign of desperation. Get the Android Weather app from Google Play, Sign Up for Daily News & Breaking News Newsletters, Sign up for Digging Deep: Inside KXAN Investigates newsletter. And, if all thats not enough to draw your interest, the race has taken three unexpected turns during the past couple of weeksinvolving death, alleged corruption, and barely covered breasts. The oldest state regulatory agency, in charge of how oil and gas are produced and transported, doesnt typically attract much attention at election time. All rights reserved. In 2002, Stogner graduated from Huntsville High School in Alabama. Interviews are granted to candidates who visit Odessa and submit a request to be interviewed. And the reason that that happened is because the Railroad Commission hadnt mapped out who the critical producers now the Railroad Commission was directed to create a supply chain map to try to address that problem. The top positions include, governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general, comptroller, land commissioner, agriculture commissioner, and railroad commissioner. Christian graduated from high school as valedictorian, and went on to graduate from Stephen F. Austin State University with a B.B.A. Then, on Super Bowl Sunday, another candidate, oil and gas attorney Sarah Stogner, posted a short video on TikTok and Twitter to implore Texans to please vote early. In the video, she rides a pump jack while wearing only a hat, underwear, and pasties. Then she pivoted to the 2021 winter storm that left millions without power for days and caused hundreds of deaths after a combination of freezing temperatures across the state and skyrocketing demand for energy shut down power plants as well as the natural gas facilities that supply them with fuel. Earlier in the day, Greg Casar was praying for a 50-percent-plus-one win. Those issues include: the Texas blackout last year (caused in large part by problems along the natural gas supply chain that the commission regulates); the role big industry donations play in Railroad Commission policy decisions; the current high price of natural gas; and the routine practice of gas flaring in the Texas oil fields, which wastes . 2022 Election. Stogner, who lives on a ranch in Monahans, west of Odessa, said Christian is a politician bought and controlled by donors. By 8:30 p.m., it became clear that he was the Democratic nominee for the 35th Congressional District, all but ensuring a win in the general election. Another candidate, Dawayne Tipton, who is endorsed by all three of the states largest papers, said he doesnt fault Stogner. Reporting by Lalena Fisher, J. David Goodman and Alicia Parlapiano; production by Amanda Cordero and Jessica White; editing by Wilson Andrews, Ben Koski and Kenan Davis. Christian: My top priorities as commissioner are to fight back against the Biden administrations radical anti-oil and gas agenda to increase the domestic production of oil and natural gas to decrease the cost of gas and groceries and increase energy security., Warford: Three main things Im focused on are one securing our grid so that Texans dont have to live in fear that the power is gonna go out the next time it gets cold. The Railroad Commission of Texas (Commission) is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations. They still view themselves as the managers of the Texas economy, he says. The Railroad Commission of Texas Candidates for Texas Railroad Commissioner 6440 Voter Guide My Ballot Recommendations Election Coverage Voting for this election ended Nov 8, 2022. After college, Christian found success in the music industry with his country/gospel band, the Mercy River Boys and went on to be finalist for a Grammy Award in 1979. iSideWith.com may earn a portion of sales from products that are purchased through our site as part of our affiliate partnerships with retailers. On these committees, he had direct oversight of the Railroad Commission and accumulated a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations. I have [contaminated] groundwater, he takes $100,000 bribes, Stogner said, referring to leaking pipes in her West Texas area. 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. Thats because the agency does not regulate railroads; it regulates oil and gas in the state. Democrat Attorney General candidates are in the same boat. Stogner, he argued, will over-regulate the oil and gas industry. He was driving a Cadillac Escalade that hit the rear of a tanker truck. Filing in the 2022 Republican or Democratic Primary Election - Texas Though I will not be contesting the outcome of this election, I will not be going away, he said in a statement. My overall mission is to ensure that Texans have access to cheap, plentiful, and reliable energy., Warford: My background is in mostly the private sector in energy policy and energy consulting. The crew, in town to film a documentary about an unplugged oil well spewing contaminated fluids, was sharing beers with Stogner when one of the videographers said they always wanted to do an artistic photo shoot on a pumpjack, Stogner recalled. When Stogner announced her endorsement of Warford in late September, she called him not a typical Democrat and pragmatic and pro-business.. The two main contenders in this year's race for commissioner are incumbent Republican Wayne Christian and Democrat Luke Warford. In order to keep the power grid from total collapse, the Electric Reliability Council of Texas directed transmission companies to cut off power to residents, businesses and gas producing facilities because they were not registered as critical infrastructure part of a cascade of power failures that led to hundreds of deaths. Q for Warford: What is your response to criticism from your opponent, who is describing you as a left-wing extremist? Top Three Internal Priorities: 1) Continue to modernize agency to increase efficiencies, speed up permitting, and decrease. . 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.. Texas Railroad Commissioner Race Your Vote Counts Ballot Information 2022 General Election Candidates All Democratic Candidates Green Party Candidates Independent Candidates Libertarian Candidates Reform Party Candidates Republican Candidates Wayne Christian Republican Party Incumbent Hunter Wayne Crow Green Party Jaime Andres Diez Theres a good chance this race is going to a runoff, and, as Cisneros feared, the other progressive in the race, Tannya Benavides, is playing the spoiler, with nearly 5 percent of the vote. Why Does He Get to Make That Call? 2022 Texas primary: Results for railroad commissioner - WFAA Jos R. Ralat is Texas Monthlys taco editor, writing about tacos and Mexican food. Christian, who is seeking a second term, said he believes his experience and perspective will still benefit the state and wants to make sure Texans have access to cheap, plentiful and reliable energy.. Early voting lasts from Monday through Feb. 25, and election day is March 1. Christian: I have never allowed a political contribution to influence my decisions in elected office. Lee esta historia en espaol. 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.. Candidate Interview: Railroad Commission Candidate Tom Slocum Ethics: Since candidates for Railroad Commission often raise money. Texas Railroad Commission Candidates - Graves Dougherty Hearon & Moody Christian avoided talking about the power grid and last years winter freeze, even when asked by Rice-Tims about the future of the grid. 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. The climate catastrophists have made a religion of what they do, he said in the same YouTube interview. With just over 70 percent of the results in, the Democratic bid for the open seat in Texas competitive 15th District appears destined for a runoff. Election 2022: Results for statewide Texas offices | kens5.com I understand that submitting my email address allows iSideWith.com to send me important notifications via email. Theres this really coherent story of regulatory capture and of special interests having total power and control here, Warford said. Here's your 2022 midterm election guide for South Texas. Q for Christian: Why should Texans elect you again? Umm, its tough, Hommel said. RAILROAD COMMISSIONER. This election is literally one that will have life-and-death consequences. Wayne Christian for Railroad Commissioner Several Southeast Texas primary races headed for runoffs - KBMT The three-member commission has jurisdiction over pipelines, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, the LP-gas industry and coal and uranium surface mining. Texas candidate kicks up controversy by posing nearly nude atop an oil pump To learn more about how election results work, read this article. I feel like Im using my platform well, she told KUT after giving remarks to the group of residents, activists and Democratic politicians.