Luke Warford, a former Democratic political operative in Texas, hopes to unseat Wayne Christian, who was elected to his first term in 2016, in this down ballot race that can often fail to grab voters’ attention.
But central to the contest is how the agency, which regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, responded to the February 2021 freeze that plunged millions into darkness and left 246 dead in one of the worst natural disasters in state history.
Warford more than tripled the amount of contributions Christian received, outraising him with nearly $379,000 to the incumbent’s almost $125,000, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Texas Ethics Commission on Oct. 11.
Warford also boasts the endorsement of Sarah Stogner, who lost to Christian in the May 24 GOP runoff. A Democrat has not won a statewide office in Texas since 1994. And a poll by the Texas Hispanic Policy Foundation late last month showed Christian with a lead over Warford among likely voters, 47 percent-37 percent.
Christian, 72, was elected in 2016, defeating Democrat Grady Yarbrough with 53 percent of the vote. In this year’s GOP primary runoff, he defeated Stogner with 65 percent of the vote. Warford, 33, likes to stress how he’s the youngest Democratic nominee for a statewide office this year.
Here is how the rivals line up on issues.
Renewable Energy Transition
Warford has been very vocal that he hopes Texas will shift to clean, renewable energy sources and shy away from coal, oil and other fossil fuels. In an interview with The Dallas Morning News editorial board earlier this month, he cited private-sector leaders as he touted economic opportunities from geothermal, hydrogen and other emerging technologies.
“The question is, does Texas position ourselves to continue to lead in these emerging technologies or not,” Warford said. “And it seems to me that it is only our elected officials, and namely my opponent, who does not acknowledge that and does not recognize that there’s actually a huge amount of job and economic opportunity in that change.”
Christian disagrees.
When asked in an email if the state’s future energy plan should include ways to add renewable energy sources, he said the free market should determine the type of energy that is used.
“We must end the practice of picking winners and losers through preferential treatment,” Christian said.
Industry Regulation
Throughout the primary, Christian faced accusations of corruption from Stogner after he accepted a $100,000 campaign donation from a company based in his hometown of Center just three days after he voted to approve the company’s permit request. The approval went against the recommendations of the Railroad Commission staff.
Warford called that a bribe.
Christian, however, said receiving the $100,000 campaign donation was not unethical. He said he has never allowed a political contribution to influence decisions he makes.
“Whether you agree or disagree with the decisions I have made as Commissioner, no one can claim that I don’t govern consistent with the values and principles I campaigned on,” he said.
Warford said that corruption has always been an underlying issue in commissioner races. It’s been exacerbated by the grid failure during the February 2021 winter storm, he said.
“I truly think that the issue of this election cycle is around energy and the grid and reliability and affordability,” he said. “And so, in some ways that is ... going to be answered in this election.”
©2022 The Dallas Morning News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
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