TX Railroad Commission Incumbent Has $10 Million In Election Funds; Her Three Opponents $30,000 In Total

The list of campaign contributions to incumbent oil and gas regulator Christi Craddick reads like a who’s who of Texas fossil fuel billionaires. There’s West Texas oilman Tim Dunn, Energy Transfer CEO Kelcy Warren and recently deceased Endeavor Energy founder Autry Stephens. All told, the Midland Republican running for her third term on the Railroad Commission has raked in more than $10 million since 2019, according to reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission. In comparison, Craddick’s three opponents for the seat have raised less than $30,000 total. Commissioners can accept campaign contributions throughout their six-year terms in office, unlike state legislative and judicial candidates, who are limited to defined election periods.

Craddick’s opponents are Democrat Katherine Culbert, a process safety engineer in Houston, Libertarian Hawk Dunlap, a well control specialist in the Permian Basin, and Eddie Espinoza of the Green Party. Early voting began Monday. The results of the race will shape environmental and climate outcomes in Texas for years to come. The three elected commissioners manage funds to plug orphan wells and vote on permits to flare methane and drill injection wells, decisions that can make or cost oil and gas companies money. The sitting commissioners, Craddick, Wayne Christian and Jim Wright, have staunchly opposed environmental and climate policy under the Biden-Harris administration.

Texas Republicans have not lost a statewide race since 1994. But that hasn’t stopped Texas oil and gas executives from opening their pursestrings. Craddick out-fundraised all previous Railroad Commission campaigns, according to the campaign finance accountability group Open Secrets.

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Craddick said that under Biden, the Railroad Commission has relied on Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton to bring lawsuits against new environmental and climate policies. Craddick has also criticized the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), which she calls the Green New Deal. Even so, the Railroad Commission is accessing funds from the IRA and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, both passed under Biden, to plug orphan wells. Texas has more than 8,000 orphan wells, which release harmful air toxics and greenhouse gases and can contaminate soil and groundwater. New wells are continually added to the list. Appearing on the Crude Truth podcast in February 2024, Craddick said Texas would take the federal money despite her criticisms of the law. “The Green New Deal is bad,” she said. “But this, we decided we would access dollars. It’s your tax dollars anyway so we might as well use it.”

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https://insideclimatenews.org/news/22102024/millions-pour-in-to-reelect-texas-oil-and-gas-regulator/