Republican

This race for a seat on the three-member Texas Railroad Commission is crowded with perennial candidates, a former representative and plenty of aspiring conservative activists. What the commission needs, however, is someone with experience and expertise in the regulation of our state's energy resources. A runoff is almost certain, given the seven candidates on the ballot. We recommend that Republican primary voters send Lance Christian and John Greytok to that runoff.

Christian is a hydrogeologist who currently works for the commission. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Texas at Austin, and he has published his master's-level research on hydrology. Unlike many of the politicians in this race, he keeps a focus on the straight and narrow duties of the commission: preserving the safety of Texans and our environment, and fostering the oil and gas industry. But maybe he doesn't go for the political pot-shots because Christian can actually talk about the policy and science that consumes most of the day-to-day duties of the commission. Plenty of businesses promote from within, and it is time for Republican voters to go that route.

Where Christian has scientific experience, Greytok has legal expertise. With a law degree from the University of Texas at Austin School of Law, Greytok has served as a Special Assistant Attorney General for the state of Texas and as a briefing attorney to the chief justice of the Third Court of Appeals in Austin. He understands the legal aspects of the commission's rulemaking and is also endorsed by former Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson.

However, voters should stay away from Wayne Christian, a former state representative who was repeatedly named one of Texas' worst legislators.

Also running are veteran Doug Jeffrey; businessman Gary Gates, who has run prior campaigns for elected office with little success; Ron Hale, a Houston-area engineer who previously ran for City Council; and Weston Martinez, a Republican activist.

Democrat

Our recommendation for the Democratic primary is former state Rep. Lon Burnam.

Burnam, who served in the House for 18 years, including time spent on the Energy Resources Committee, is knowledgeable about the issues and well-qualified for his party's nomination.

Burnam wants to rebrand the commission the Texas Energy Commission so that the public knows - its name notwithstanding - that the Railroad Commission is responsible for regulating the state's oil and gas industry, as well as mining and pipelines.

Burnam says that if nominated and elected, he would push the commission to develop a comprehensive energy plan. Safety would be his top priority, and he would make sure that if tragedy strikes, the commission is out front, investigating what has occurred.

As a life-long environmentalist, Burnam would promote enhanced collaboration between state agencies and greater oversight of land restoration following drilling and of injection wells.

Burnam faces two opponents in the Democratic primary: Cody Garrett, a former print and television journalist, and Grady Yarbrough, a retired teacher.