Texas election: Railroad Commissioner race highlights future of oil and gas

AUSTIN (KXAN) — On Tuesday Texans choose their next Railroad Commissioner — a role that has nothing to do with railroads and everything to do with oil and gas. 

The Railroad Commission of Texas (RRC) is the primary state agency responsible for regulating Texas’ oil and gas industry. The three-member commission has jurisdiction over pipelines, natural gas and liquefied petroleum gas, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining. The RRC also has oversight over Texas energy industries and enforces related state and federal laws.

These are the four candidates: Republican incumbent Wayne Christian, Democratic nominee Luke Warford and two third-party candidates — Libertarian Jaime Andres Diez and Hunter Wayne Crow of the Green Party.

See latest election results below after polls close at 7 p.m. CT

Christian and Warford have garnered most of the focus in the race.

Warford is focused on securing the power grid, decreasing utility prices, and protecting air and water. 

Christian’s plans are — “to fight back against the Biden administration’s 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.”