Two Republicans to face off in runoff for Texas Railroad Commissioner

Its three commissioners serve six-year staggered terms.

Each seat is on the ballot every two years. In this election, Christian ran for re-election against four challengers. He received 47.19% of the vote.

In a five-way race, Stogner received 15.12% of the vote. However, before the election, one of the candidates died, Marvin “Sarge” Summers, whose name was still on the ballot. He received 11.88% of the vote.

Christian was first elected in 2016 after serving as a state representative from 1997 to 2013.

In 1996, he made history by becoming the first Republican elected to the Texas House of Representatives from deep East Texas since Reconstruction.

While in the Legislature, he was president of the Texas Conservative Coalition and served as vice-chair of Regulated Industries and as a multi-term member of the Energy Resource Committee.

While in office, he oversaw the Railroad Commission and built a record of “standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations.” He says he will “continue to fight to ensure the public is protected from bad actors and that all decisions are consistent and predictable to give a sense of certainty to the thousands of business owners and operators who regularly deal with the Railroad Commission.”

During his first term on the commission, Christian says he developed a record of “fighting against frivolous regulations and standing strong for free markets and American Energy Dominance.”

As the official representative for Texas on the Interstate Oil and Gas Compact Commission, he’s been at the “forefront of fighting against Biden Administration efforts like the Green New Deal, CLEAN Future Act, and the Paris Climate Agreement,” according to his campaign website.

While he hasn’t worked in the oil and gas industry, he’s received numerous endorsements from the industry, including the Texas Oil & Gas Association, Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, Oil and Gas Workers Association, among others. He owns an investment company and is a registered representative of SunAmerica Securities Inc.

He argues, “big government increases costs for consumers and kills high paying jobs, while harming our economy and national security,” and that “all regulations should be consistent, predictable, and based on sound science.”

Stogner, who describes herself as the “Lady Godiva of the Oil Patch,” made headlines and lost endorsements after she published a video ad of her riding an oil pump jack wearing only her underwear and boots.

In response to the backlash she received, she asked if nudity was worse than corruption, the Houston Chronicle reported.

“Texans have tolerated crony capitalism far too long,” Stogner argues on her campaign website. She says she has “the unique ability to facilitate practical resolutions when others have failed.” As an industry attorney over the past 15 years, she’s represented operators, service companies, and landowners in complex legal disputes.

Her priorities include job creation to provide clean and affordable energy, preventing federal intervention in Texas energy regulation, and establishing global ESG metrics and standards.

She’s self-funding her campaign, she says, “proving she is not being bought and paid for by any special interest.”

After making it to the runoff election, she told News West 9: “Look, no one wants to talk about groundwater, flaring, and earthquakes. I have been trying to get everyone’s attention to actually listen to the issues.”

Referring to her nearly nude video, she said, “I posted it on TikTok, then I immediately posted it to Twitter and Instagram, the main purpose was to get everyone’s attention.

“I have no secrets, so let’s talk about the naked truth. It’s a metaphor of where we are now. We have politicians, like I said, who just lie.”

She says the majority of the feedback she’s received has been overwhelmingly positive.

Whoever wins on May 24 will face a Democrat, Green Party, and Libertarian candidate in November.