The two men battling for a spot on the Texas Railroad Commission go head-to-head — virtually — in the latest installment of our Face-Off video series. Watch as political novice and certified public accountant David Porter, a Midland Republican, debates Democrat Jeff Weems, an oil and gas attorney from Houston, on their respective qualifications for the job, whether there are enough pipeline inspectors and and the proper balance between environmental regulation and economic growth.
Texas Railroad Commission
Posted in
Energy
TribBlog: Fracktiousness in Fort Worth
Anger and fear were on display at a public meeting the Environmental Protection Agency convened in Fort Worth to discuss a natural gas drilling technique called hydraulic fracturing.
Posted in
Energy
Leaky Pipes
A Texas Railroad Commissioner is proposing to replace steel natural gas pipes with plastic. Mose Buchele of KUT News reports.
Posted in
Demographics
The Elefante in the Room
Railroad Commission Chairman Victor Carrillo, a seven-year incumbent with a background in the industry he regulates, got trounced in the GOP primary on Tuesday by an unknown, David Porter, who spent little money on the race. He’s not the only one who thinks his Hispanic surname cost him his job.
Posted in
Demographics
Carrillo: Hispanic Surname Caused Election Loss
“Early polling showed that the typical GOP primary voter has very little info about the position of Railroad Commissioner, what we do, or who my opponent or I were. Given the choice between “Porter” and “Carrillo” — unfortunately, the Hispanic-surname was a serious setback from which I could never recover.”
Posted in
State Government
RRC: Porter Leads Carillo by Wide Margin
An upset seems likely if not certain in the Republican primary for Railroad Commissioner. Victor Carrillo, the incumbent, is trailing challenger David Porter by 21 percent with nearly 80 percent of precincts counted.