Are you a voter who takes the time to read up on the candidates you support, even a little?
Sure, it’s easier if you just look for the letter after the candidate’s name, and vote for the ones that have been endorsed by your party of choice. That’s partly why political parties exist: to help voters organize around shared ideas.
But our two-party system can also reduce complicated questions to yes-or-no choices that deserve more thought, discussion and compromise.
In our current political climate, conservative voters in particular are having to decide whether to continue their traditional support for Republican candidates. The Trump administration and its MAGA candidates have created a dilemma for voters who value limited government and fiscal responsibility while watching an expansion of executive power and federal involvement in areas traditionally left to the states.
Thoughtful Republicans are taking this dilemma seriously. Recently, even Karl Rove, who spent decades building the modern Republican party as a strategist and eventually senior advisor to George W. Bush, stated that he was planning to vote for Democrat Jon Rosenthal for the Texas Railroad Commission.
Let’s look more closely at this race.
First, do you even know what the Texas Railroad Commission deals with? Surprise: railroads have not been part of their purview for twenty years. The Commission regulates the oil and natural gas industry, including drilling, production, pipelines, and well safety and plugging.
Clearly this body has a great deal of power in a state like Texas. Its current members have been criticized for potential or perceived conflicts of interest when they vote on permits and enforcement matters affecting companies in which they have financial interests.
In keeping with the point I made at the start of this column, I’m going to introduce the two candidates with only their qualifications and experience, not with their names or party affiliations. See what you think.
Candidate A is a businessman and investor with longstanding ties to the oil and gas industry. He grew up in a Texas family involved in the oil business and worked for about a decade as an energy trader. His political experience includes serving as chair of his county party and two unsuccessful runs for a seat in the Texas House. His case for your vote for the Railroad Commission rests primarily on his familiarity with the energy business and energy markets.
Candidate B is a mechanical engineer who spent 25 years working in the oil and gas industry as an engineer, engineering and project manager, and subsea-systems specialist. He has a mechanical engineering degree from the University of Texas and graduate training in subsea engineering. He has served four terms in the Texas House since 2019, so he brings both direct technical experience in the industry the Railroad Commission regulates and several years of experience dealing with Texas law and public policy.
Candidate B has a detailed list of priorities that includes plugging orphan wells and better management of saltwater disposal, weatherizing natural gas facilities, stronger enforcement of existing regulations, and making the commission more accessible and transparent. He also wants a statewide policy for data centers, particularly their enormous demands for water and electricity.
Candidate A has stated fewer specific priorities. He has emphasized reducing what he calls excessive regulation of oil and gas producers, eliminating DEI-related practices or spending at the commission, combating what he describes as Chinese influence in the oil industry, and issues involving Islam, immigration and other culture-war subjects.
You just read four paragraphs about two very different candidates. It didn’t take long, but I think it gave you a picture of what each man has to offer in solving problems and shaping the future of our state. With the search tools available today, it isn’t difficult to learn enough about candidates to make an informed choice. Why should we let a political party make that decision for us?
Candidates should be seen as suggestions by the party, not tests of party loyalty. Our job as citizens is to evaluate those suggestions in terms of our principles and our vision for the future of our state and our nation. Crossing the party line for one race does not require abandoning whichever political philosophy you generally hold.
Wow, what if nobody had a letter after their name?
Susan Hull is a retired clinical psychologist, a horse trainer, and an independent voter. Early voting starts October 19, and you can let her know if you need a ride to the polls.
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