The details
Republican incumbent Christi Craddick, who was first elected in 2012, is seeking reelection. She is being challenged by Democrat Katherine Culbert, an oil and gas process safety engineer; Libertarian Hawk Dunlap, a well control specialist; and Green Party candidate Eddie Espinoza, a retired teacher and activist.
Despite its name, the three-member RRC does not govern railroads—the Texas Department of Transportation has that authority. Instead, the commission oversees the oil and gas industry; coal and uranium surface mining; natural gas utilities; and more.
More information
Learn more about the four candidates ahead of the Nov. 5 election. Eligible Texans have until Oct. 7 to register to vote. Early voting begins Oct. 21 and ends Nov. 1.
Candidates were asked to keep responses within 50 words, answer the questions provided and avoid attacking opponents. Answers may have been edited or cut to adhere to those guidelines, or for style and clarity.
For more election coverage from Community Impact, visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide.
Christi Craddick*
Experience:
Previously an attorney specializing in energy, water and environmental policy
Occupation:
Texas Railroad Commissioner for 12 years
Candidate Website:
https://christicraddick.com/
What role do you envision this position should play related to the Texas economy?
The Railroad Commission oversees an industry essential to our prosperity and national security. I’ve helped foster innovation and advance Texas’ position globally. Today 35% of the state budget is from oil and gas taxes which add $25 billion to the budget helping pay for schools, roads, first responders and other essential services.
What steps will you take to ensure the safety and integrity of the state’s oil and gas and pipeline infrastructure?
Texas has the largest pipeline infrastructure network in the nation, with almost 480,000 miles safely moving critical energy sources across our state. To improve safety, we utilize innovative technology to increase our ability to monitor and maintain pipelines and hire and train safety inspectors to keep up with growth.
What are your views on the future of renewable energy in Texas?
Today you are just as likely to see an old-fashioned windmill, as you are a pumpjack, as you are a big new modern wind turbine all sitting next to each other on the same site with a little cotton on the side. It’s “all of the above” energy strategy, and it works.
What changes, if any, would you make to the rules governing drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Texas?
Finding alternative methods for the disposal of produced water and incentivizing new recycling technologies is critical to ensuring Texas’ energy industry thrives and Texas’ water needs are prioritized. We are making great strides, but more work is needed as the industry develops innovative ways to manage water usage.
How will you handle environmental risks or concerns related to oil and gas, pipelines, and other infrastructure overseen by this office?
I see first-hand every day how safe and responsible energy production makes Texas a leader. Our mission is to protect Texans and the environment, and I take that responsibility seriously. Operators who violate agency rules face steep penalties and enforcement actions, and I will continue to hold bad actors accountable.
Katherine Culbert
Experience:
Oil & gas chemical/process safety engineer
Occupation:
Engineer
Candidate Website:
https://www.katherine4texas.com/
What role do you envision this position should play related to the Texas economy?
We need to remove conflicts of interest within the Railroad Commission. There need to be recusal rules for all the Commissioners when companies who make campaign contributions have business before the Commission.
What steps will you take to ensure the safety and integrity of the state’s oil and gas and pipeline infrastructure?
The Railroad Commission needs to be more proactive on pipeline safety and needs to be the watchdog for our environment. The Railroad Commission should not be the cheerleader for multi-billion-dollar companies that are polluting our state.
What are your views on the future of renewable energy in Texas?
The RRC seat is the most important environmental race in the country because of Texas’ role as an energy leader. Climate change and its cause are proven scientific facts. Fossil fuel usage is having an outsized negative impact on our environment, and the safety of our air, land, and water.
What changes, if any, would you make to the rules governing drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Texas?
The current bonding program for drilling, that is supposed to cover the plugging costs, needs to be reworked. We need a realistic amount of financial buy-in from drilling companies to fully cover the plugging activities, and to make those companies responsible for monitoring the well in perpetuity.
How will you handle environmental risks or concerns related to oil and gas, pipelines, and other infrastructure overseen by this office?
We need oil and gas companies who are using our natural resources to protect our children and our environment, so we are all able to enjoy our state for generations to come.
Hawk Dunlap
Experience:
Well control specialist, 6th generation Texan, 4th generation oilfield with 34 years oilfield experience
Occupation:
Well control specialist
Candidate Website:
https://hawk4texas.com/
What role do you envision this position should play related to the Texas economy?
The RRC's mission statement is to serve Texas by stewardship of natural resources, protecting people and the environment, and support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans. Reality is that oil and gas is 1/3 of Texas economy. I don't think my vision matters.
What steps will you take to ensure the safety and integrity of the state’s oil and gas and pipeline infrastructure?
Enforce the regulations fairly and evenly, including utilizing penalties when infrastructure owners and operators are not reasonable and prudent in their preventative maintenance.
What are your views on the future of renewable energy in Texas?
I am energy source agnostic. We need to have common sense energy sources in locations where the economics make sense—including wind in places like the Panhandle where it's windy, and solar in West Texas where it's sunny. Maybe we need more nuclear. Maybe we need more microgrids. That's beyond my jurisdiction.
What changes, if any, would you make to the rules governing drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Texas?
We have to get our produced water under control. Operators are injecting 24 million barrels per day of produced water back into various zones in Texas. Instead of spending billions of dollars on carbon capture grifts we should be figuring out massive scaling of produced water recycling in places like West Texas.
How will you handle environmental risks or concerns related to oil and gas, pipelines, and other infrastructure overseen by this office?
Utilize my industry experience to prioritize the highest impact risks and exposures. Ensure qualified subject matter experts are engaged in leadership positions within the agency and truly empowered to enforce the rules evenly and fairly.
Eddie Espinoza
Experience:
Army veteran, retired teacher, climate activist, peace activist
Occupation:
Retired teacher
Candidate Website:
https://www.espinoza4tx.com/
What role do you envision this position should play related to the Texas economy?
The Railroad Commission should establish a sustainable Texas economy by overseeing a fast transition to sustainable energy, including wind, solar and utility-scale batteries.
What steps will you take to ensure the safety and integrity of the state’s oil and gas and pipeline infrastructure?
Ensure the safety and integrity of Texas pipelines by hiring to fill the vacancies among the Railroad Commission’s pipeline inspectors, and increase the number of inspectors by a factor of 10.
What are your views on the future of renewable energy in Texas?
A fast and just transition to renewable energy is essential. Climate change already worsens devastating storms, flooding, heat waves and drought. We must end the fossil fuel industry, our kids and future generations are depending on us to listen to the climate scientists.
What changes, if any, would you make to the rules governing drilling and hydraulic fracturing in Texas?
Ban fracking. Fracking contaminates huge amounts of water needed by our farmers. Underground disposal of toxic water produced by fracking puts our fresh water sources in danger. Fracking chemicals are linked to cancer, as well as gastrointestinal, circulatory, respiratory, developmental and neurological disorders.
How will you handle environmental risks or concerns related to oil and gas, pipelines, and other infrastructure overseen by this office?
Eddie Espinoza has pledged to never take any income or campaign contributions from the oil and gas industry, so you can trust him to make choices in the best interest of public health and the environment.
