Wayne Christian Sworn-in As Texas Railroad Commissioner

January 09, 2017

AUSTIN– Today, Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian took his oath of office with more than 250 of his closest friends, family and supporters in attendance. U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz administered the oath of office, while Attorney General Ken Paxton, Sen. Bryan Hughes, Sen. Charles Perry and Rep. Phil King gave remarks.

“It is a tremendous honor and responsibility to serve the State of Texas in this capacity,” said Christian.

“It was truly humbling to see so many from across the state come out to wish me good luck and give me encouragement as I start this new endeavor.

“I look forward to ensuring the Texas Railroad Commission continues its 125-year legacy of encouraging responsible energy production and creating jobs,” continued Christian.

Sen.-Elect Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola) said, “A lot of politicians talk about how brave they are, but people like Wayne Christian, rather than professing his courage, has lived it.  East Texans like myself are excited to finally have an East Texan serving in statewide office.”

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said, “Wayne is a man of character who lives by the principles he claims to live by and no one can debate that. It is clear from the moment I met Wayne that he walks by faith and never strays from his values.”

In his opening, Sen. Cruz, said, “I cannot think of a better testament to your career and legacy than the high caliber men and women assembled in this room. One of the exciting things about Texas is the caliber of the conservative leaders that have stepped forward, leaders like Wayne who are battle-tested.

“There are parts of the world that think of energy production as bad but Texas believes that free-people developing our God-given natural resources is good for everyone,” continued Cruz. “There is no opportunity for job creation and economic growth greater than the opportunities in energy.”

Christian joins Commissioners Christi Craddick and Ryan Sitton as the third member of the Texas Railroad Commission

A lifelong conservative businessman, Wayne Christian was elected to join the Railroad Commission of Texas in November 2016. In 1996, Christian was elected to the House of Representatives as the first Republican elected from Deep East Texas since Reconstruction after the Civil War. During his time in the Texas House, Christian served as Vice-Chair of Regulated Industries and as a multi-term member of the Energy Resource Committee. On these committees, he had direct oversight of the Railroad Commission and accumulated a strong record of standing for free markets and against burdensome regulations.

 

About the Railroad Commission:
Our mission is to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans. The Commission has a long and proud history of service to both Texas and to the nation, including more than 100 years regulating the oil and gas industry. The Commission also has jurisdiction over alternative fuels safety, natural gas utilities, surface mining and intrastate pipelines. Established in 1891, the Railroad Commission of Texas is the oldest regulatory agency in the state. To learn more, please visit https://www.rrc.texas.gov/about-us/.