One of three seats on the Railroad Commission of Texas will be decided in the state’s general election Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2024. The seat is currently held by Christi Craddick, R-Midland, who is chairman of the commission. An oil and gas attorney, she is seeking her third six-year term.
Candidates on the ballot also include Democratic party nominee Katherine Culbert, an oil and gas process safety engineer, and Hawk Dunlap, Libertarian, a well control specialist. Other candidates include Green party nominee Eddie Espinoza and independent Richard McKibbin.
According to Houston Chronicle, “Culbert’s specialty is safety, and she promises to focus on protecting oilfield workers and surrounding communities. She promises stricter enforcement of existing regulations and greater transparency at the commission.”
Dunlap has spent his career fixing wells, the Chronicle added, “and he’s appalled by the commission’s handling of a growing number of zombie wells spewing hazardous materials in the Permian Basin.”
Each commissioner receives an annual salary of about $140,000. Wayne Christian and Jim Wright hold the other two seats on the commission.