Democrat to focus on ecology for general election
Dallas energy attorney Chrysta Castañeda won Tuesday’s Railroad Commission Democratic runoff, saying she’ll put environmental issues at the center of her general election campaign for the agency that regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.
Castañeda received almost 62 percent of 929,000 votes in the race to defeat Dallas criminal defense attorney and former Texas state Rep. Roberto “Beto” Alonzo.
She will face Republican Jim Wright in November’s contest, which will be followed closely by industry leaders, environmentalists and political observers. The agency issues permits for oil wells and pipelines and manages other aspects of Texas’ oil and gas industry. Its three elected officials serve staggered terms so one is elected every two years.
Castañeda says she will focus on environmental issues and what she believes is the commission’s mishandling of the oil crash caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
“I plan to reach as many Texans who believe in clean air and clean water and who want environmental protections,” she said.
Castañeda has joined critics of the agency who say it should have ordered a statewide production cut as the industry grappled with this year’s oil price collapse. She also says the commission has been slow to curb an industry practice known as “flaring” in which companies have burned hundreds of billions of cubic feet of natural gas at oil wells. It is roundly criticized by environmentalists.
Wright, a cattle rancher and oil-field services company owner from Orange Grove, upset incumbent Ryan Sitton in the GOP primary in March. Sitton’s loss gives Democrats an opportunity, said Brandon Rottinghaus, a political science professor with the University of Houston.
“Democrats are hoping to sneak a victory past the Republicans,” he said. “We’ve seen signals that Trump is in trouble in Texas but it remains to be seen how that will play out.”