San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
The naked truth about Railroad Commission
How many Texans know what the Railroad Commission of Texas does? How do you make people care about an important election for an agency with a funny, misleading name in which the incumbent, Wayne Christian, claims to be the “only Christian on the ballot”?
These are the questions I asked myself in February, in the face of a crowded Republican primary race for the Texas Railroad Commission. So I posted a five-second TikTok “Super Bowl” ad, in which I took my clothes (mostly) off and climbed on top of a pump jack.
And it worked. While it cost me this newspaper’s initial recommendation, I firmly believe it’s the sole reason there is a runoff.
Now that I have all my clothes on, can we have an honest conversation about the challenges facing the oil and gas industry, and the incumbent’s lack of qualifications?
The Texas Railroad Commission regulates oil and gas wells, intrastate pipelines and surface mining. Despite its confusing name, it is one of the most powerful regulatory agencies in the world. It oversees the oil and gas industry in Texas, which, if it were its own nation, would be the fourth-largest oil producer in the world.
Three commissioners serve staggered, six-year terms. Like other statewide races in Texas, these commissioners are truly chosen in the Republican primary, receiving minimal media attention or scrutiny. Most campaign contributions come from the oil and gas firms they regulate, which, at best, creates a large potential for conflict of interest.
The RRC makes daily decisions that impact state, national and global economies, as well as the health and safety of ordinary Texans. When an oil well blows out and contaminates the only drinking water for rural residents, the RRC has exclusive regulatory authority. I moved onto a West Texas cattle ranch last summer and witnessed the RRC tell the landowner she was not allowed to contact commission staff — that all communications must be made through attorneys.
I thought state attorneys were only adversarial to Texans in criminal cases. The RRC’s leadership is openly hostile to everyday Texans. What happens to the 99 percent of Texans who cannot afford a massive legal battle when their groundwater is contaminated by grossly negligent oil companies? Who do they call when state regulators are complicit?
This brings me back to my semi-nude pump-jack publicity stunt.
I have been an oil and gas attorney for 14 years. I have represented primarily oil and gas operators in contract negotiations and litigation. And for years I have been calling attention to the problems facing this industry: earthquakes caused by the disposal of water produced in fracking, casing integrity and groundwater contamination, orphaned wells and the ever-present threat of federal intervention.
I have no long-term political aspirations. I want to get into office, bring transparency, competency and trust back to the RRC, and then go back to my life as a mom and attorney.
Meanwhile, my opponent is a career politician who has never worked in the oil industry and fell into a commissioner’s seat when he was redistricted out of a Texas House seat. Recent news stories have reported how he accepted a campaign contribution after approving a permit application against the advice of Texas Railroad Commission in-house experts.
I am an experienced oil and gas attorney with actual field experience. I am supervisor well control certified, and I understand the operational realities of exploring for and producing hydrocarbons. My supporters are out there getting their hands dirty every day in the Eagle Ford Shale and Permian Basin drilling and completing wells. My opponent’s top supporters come from the high-rise offices of the oil and gas industry, including Californiabased Chevron.
The naked truth can be uncomfortable, but we are at a crossroads in this country and need leaders willing to step up, speak out and stand up for what is right — especially when it’s difficult.