Railroad Commissioner – Tarrant Votes

Job description	One of a three-person commission that oversees the Railroad Commission, a Texas state agency. Term is six years.
Duties	Regulates the oil and natural gas industry, pipelines, gas utilities, and coal and uranium surface mining. Responsible for enforcing federal laws related to these industries. Note: although it was originally created to do so, the Commission is not responsible for regulating railroads.
Annual salary	$140,937

Who’s Running?

Wayne Christian (incumbent) Website: https://www.christianfortexas.com Email: wayne@christianfortexas.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WayneChristianTX Twitter: https://twitter.com/ChristianForTX	Republican
Luke Warford Website: https://lukewarford.com Email: info@lukewarford.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LukeWarfordTX/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/LukeWarfordTX	Democrat
Jaime Andres Díez Website: https://www.vote4diez.com Email: jaime@vote4diez.com	Libertarian
Hunter Wayne Crow Website: https://sites.google.com/view/hunter-crow-for-txrrc2022/home Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VoteHunterCrowForTXRRC Twitter: https://twitter.com/CrowRailroad Email: huntercrowforrrc2022@gmail.com	Green

Recent News Articles

“West Texas rancher pours $2 million into Sarah Stogner’s underdog campaign for statewide oil and gas board seat,” Texas Tribune (May 16, 2022) https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/16/texas-sarah-stogner-rancher-railroad-commission/
“In Railroad Commission runoff, GOP candidates court North Texas voters – who want them to change agency’s confusing name,” Texas Tribune (May 11, 2022) https://www.texastribune.org/2022/05/11/texas-railroad-commission-runoff-election/
“Sarah Stogner’s dark horse candidacy for Railroad Commissioner,” Dallas Morning News (Apr 29, 2022) https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2022/04/29/texas-railroad-commission-dark-horse-bucks-convention-with-her-unicorn-candidacy/ (paywall)
“Wayne Christian, incumbent commissioner overseeing oil and gas industry, is headed to a runoff,” Texas Tribune (Mar 2, 2022) https://www.texastribune.org/2022/03/01/texas-railroad-commission-wayne-christian/
“Earthquakes in Texas doubled in 2021. Scientists cite years of oil companies injecting sludgy water underground.” Texas Tribune (Feb 8, 2022) https://www.texastribune.org/2022/02/08/west-texas-earthquakes-fracking/
“Despite no winterization standards, Railroad Comm. says gas system ‘98% winterized,’” NBCDFW.com (Feb 3, 2022) https://www.nbcdfw.com/investigations/despite-no-winterization-standards-texas-railroad-commission-declares-gas-system-98-winterized/2879499/
“Texas regulators pass rule aimed at preventing natural gas producers from having power cut off during future winter storms,” Texas Tribune (Nov 30, 2021) https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/30/texas-natural-gas-winter-storm-pow/
“As world leaders seek to rein in methane, Texas’ oil and gas industry pressured to cut emissions,” Texas Tribune (Nov 2, 2021) https://www.texastribune.org/2021/11/02/epa-methane-emissions-oil-gas/
“Oil industry helped handpick members of Texas advisory group for electric grid reliability, emails show,” Texas Tribune (Oct 21, 2021) https://www.texastribune.org/2021/10/21/texas-railroad-commission-power-grid-council/
“Texas senators blast regulator for power grid winterization loophole lawmakers wrote into law,” Texas Tribune (Sep 28, 2021) https://www.texastribune.org/2021/09/28/texas-power-grid-loophole/

Who’s Running?

1. WHY ARE YOU THE BEST QUALIFIED CANDIDATE?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner I'm the only candidate with oil and gas experience. I'm an attorney that has represented various energy entities as well as landowners in contracting risk related to exploring for and producing oil and natural gas. I'm also a mother who moved out to a West Texas cattle ranch with contaminated groundwater last summer and decided to run after personally witnessing gross mismanagement by the current commissioners.
	Soy el único candidato con experiencia en petróleo y gas. Soy un abogado que ha representado a varias entidades energéticas, así como a propietarios de terrenos, en la contratación de riesgos relacionados con la exploración y producción de petróleo y gas natural. También soy una madre que se mudó a un rancho de ganado en el oeste de Texas con aguas subterráneas contaminadas el verano pasado y decidió postularse después de presenciar personalmente una mala gestión por parte de los comisionados actuales.
2. WOULD YOU SUPPORT CHANGING THE NAME OF THE RAILROAD COMMISSION TO SOMETHING MORE DESCRIPTIVE OF ITS ACTUAL RESPONSIBILITIES?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner Yes. I believe this is now intentional - the RRC is essentially a captive agency of the oil and gas industry. The name should be changed by the legislators so Texans know they are the oil and gas commission and have not had any jurisdiction over railroads since 2005.
	Si. Creo que esto ahora es intencional: el RRC es esencialmente una agencia cautiva de la industria del petróleo y el gas. Los legisladores deberían cambiar el nombre para que los tejanos sepan que son la comisión de petróleo y gas y que no han tenido ninguna jurisdicción sobre los ferrocarriles desde 2005.
3. FOLLOWING THE “BIG FREEZE” OF FEBRUARY 2021, THE RAILROAD COMMISSION WAS CRITICIZED FOR IGNORING EARLIER WARNINGS ABOUT THE VULNERABILITY OF THE STATE’S GAS SYSTEM TO WINTER STORMS AND INADEQUATE WEATHERIZATION AT INDUSTRY FACILITIES. HOW EFFECTIVE ARE THE MEASURES PUT IN PLACE SINCE? ARE FURTHER MEASURES NEEDED?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner We have so many issues with intrastate natural gas pipelines that the current RRC improperly blames on wind and solar. Existing facilities are aging and have not been properly maintained. Texas is the third largest producer of oil and natural gas in the world and we do not know what our daily production is - it often takes weeks until operators report their production. We need to modernize the reporting of natural gas production and ensure sound winterization requirements are enacted without unnecessarily increasing costs on operators, which are then passed to consumers.
	Tenemos tantos problemas con las tuberías de gas natural dentro del estado que el RRC actual culpa indebidamente a la energía eólica y solar. Las instalaciones existentes están envejeciendo y no se han mantenido adecuadamente. Texas es el tercer mayor productor de petróleo y gas natural del mundo y no sabemos cuál es nuestra producción diaria; a menudo pasan semanas hasta que los operadores informan sobre su producción. Necesitamos modernizar los informes de producción de gas natural y garantizar que se promulguen requisitos sólidos de preparación para el invierno sin aumentar innecesariamente los costos de los operadores, que luego se transfieren a los consumidores.
4. TEXANS HAVE RAISED CONCERNS ABOUT FRACKING AND SEISMIC ACTIVITIES, METHANE RELEASES FROM NATURAL GAS FLARING, POTENTIAL GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION FROM UNCAPPED OIL WELLS, AND POLLUTION FROM SOME MINING ACTIVITIES. WHAT IS THE RAILROAD COMMISSION’S RESPONSIBILITY FOR COMMUNITY SAFETY IN REGULATING THE OIL, GAS, AND MINING INDUSTRIES?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner The RRC is responsible for each of these issues. Our current commissioners have failed to actually enforce the existing rules on the books that prohibit these activities. I'm going to get in there and actually enforce the rules and bring transparency to the agency. I want to include landowners in conversations that impact their land. I want all Texans to have relevant information about oil and gas operations that could impact their health and safety. We can responsibly explore for and produce oil and natural gas while also protecting our air and ground water. They are not mutually exclusive. But it takes intellectually honest conversations about difficult topics - we have to end the pay to play system that is prevalent today.
	El RRC es responsable de cada uno de estos temas. Nuestros comisionados actuales no han logrado hacer cumplir las reglas existentes en los libros que prohíben estas actividades. Voy a entrar allí y hacer cumplir las reglas y traer transparencia a la agencia. Quiero incluir a los terratenientes en las conversaciones que impactan en sus tierras. Quiero que todos los tejanos tengan información relevante sobre las operaciones de petróleo y gas que podrían afectar su salud y seguridad. Podemos explorar y producir petróleo y gas natural de manera responsable al mismo tiempo que protegemos nuestro aire y agua subterránea. No son mutuamente exclusivos. Pero se necesitan conversaciones intelectualmente honestas sobre temas difíciles: tenemos que terminar con el sistema de pago por juego que prevalece hoy en día.
5. SHOULD THE RAILROAD COMMISSION HAVE A ROLE IN ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE AND REDUCING CARBON EMISSIONS? SHOULD RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES BE BROUGHT UNDER THE COMMISSION’S AUTHORITY?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner The RRC should have jurisdiction over all energy sources. There is no such thing as green energy - all energy sources have costs and benefits. We need energy expansion - not energy transition. Oil and natural gas will continue to provide low-cost, reliable, energy to Texas and the rest of the world. We do not need to implement policies that handicap any Texas energy development artificially. We need to ensure the free markets can respond to supply and demand to keep our fuel prices low and our economy strong. The RRC cannot change federal climate change and carbon emission policies, but can lead by example for rational policy decisions based on fact and science - not polarizing rhetoric from elected officials.
	El RRC debe tener jurisdicción sobre todas las fuentes de energía. No existe tal cosa como la energía verde: todas las fuentes de energía tienen costos y beneficios. Necesitamos expansión energética, no transición energética. El petróleo y el gas natural continuarán brindando energía confiable y de bajo costo a Texas y al resto del mundo. No necesitamos implementar políticas que obstaculicen artificialmente cualquier desarrollo energético de Texas. Necesitamos asegurarnos de que los mercados libres puedan responder a la oferta y la demanda para mantener bajos los precios de los combustibles y fortalecer nuestra economía. El RRC no puede cambiar las políticas federales sobre el cambio climático y las emisiones de carbono, pero puede predicar con el ejemplo para decisiones políticas racionales basadas en hechos y ciencia, no en la retórica polarizadora de los funcionarios electos.
6. ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
	Luke Warford
	Wayne Christian
	Sarah Stogner Thank you for inviting me to participate in this questionnaire. I would love to attend any local events that fit within my schedule to personally introduce myself to Tarrant County voters so they can make an informed decision when they head to the polls on May 24th. My campaign stops are listed on my website as well if people would like to see my scheduled stops between now and then. I would be honored to receive your vote to help lead the future of Texas energy!
	Gracias por invitarme a participar en este cuestionario. Me encantaría asistir a cualquier evento local que se ajuste a mi agenda para presentarme personalmente a los votantes del condado de Tarrant para que puedan tomar una decisión informada cuando se dirijan a las urnas el 24 de mayo. Las paradas de mi campaña también se enumeran en mi sitio web si las personas desean ver mis paradas programadas entre ahora y entonces. ¡Sería un honor recibir su voto para ayudar a liderar el futuro de la energía de Texas!