TX Oil & Gas Blowjob Comm., Er, Railroad Commission Election Heading For Potentially Wild Runoff
A GOP primary that saw one candidate die in a campaign-related car accident, a second pose nearly nude on top of a pump jack and a third get accused of corruption has taken yet another unexpected turn. Incumbent Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian (the one accused of corruption) appears to have failed to fend off a runoff election. While the race has not been called, his closest competitor is Sarah Stogner (she of the pump jack pose). Despite its name, the Railroad Commission oversees oil and gas extraction, as well as pipelines, in the state. That role has led some to call it one of the most important regulatory agencies in the world, especially when it comes to energy policy and climate change. If Texas were its own country, it would be among the top five global oil producers.
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Christian's term has been characterized by his vocal support for the fossil fuel industry and the commission's actions during and after the blackout. He is also known for railing against policies and politicians he views as hostile to fossil fuels and denying that climate change is caused by humans. His campaign website describes him as a "national leader" fighting against efforts “like the Green New Deal, CLEAN Future Act, and the Paris Climate Agreement."
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Stogner made that growing sense that the Railroad Commission in general, and Christian in particular, were captured by industry a centerpiece of her campaign to unseat him. "I am an experienced oil and gas attorney, and my opponent is a career politician who was caught taking bribes," she wrote in a tweet pinned to her Twitter profile. Stronger lives and practices law in the Permian Basin, Texas' most productive oil patch. Among other things, her campaign has highlighted local environmental problems caused by abandoned oil wells and their link to groundwater contamination. The Railroad Commission is responsible for plugging abandoned wells, but it has, for decades, been unable to keep up with the backlog.
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Currently in third place and still in possible contention for a Republican runoff is Houston-area oil and gas consultant Tom Slocum Jr. Among other things, Slocum has run on finishing the border wall project begun under President Donald Trump and using bitcoin to bolster the Texas energy system.
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https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/energy-environment/2022/03/02/420290/race-to-be-texas-top-oil-and-gas-regulator-appears-headed-to-a-runoff-in-wild-gop-primary/