Here are the Republican primary candidates for Texas railroad commissioner
Five Republicans are competing in the March 3 primary race for Texas railroad commissioner. The winner will be on the ballot in November along with the only Democratic candidate, Jon Rosenthal.
Here are the Republican candidates’ responses to a Star-Telegram questionnaire. They are listed in the order you’ll see them on the ballot.
Jim Wright
Did not respond.
Hawk Dunlap
Age (as of March 3): 55
Campaign website: hawk4texas.com
Best way for voters to reach you: hawkins.dunlap@yahoo.com
Occupation: Well Control Specialist
Education: BS Stephen F Austin State University
Have you run for elected office before? yes RRC 2024
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: Scouting, Jr golf program Sponsor, Mentoring young petroleum engineers
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? If yes, please explain: DWI 1994
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No
Who are your top three campaign contributors? Schuyler Wright, Randy Prince, Sarah Stogner
Why are you seeking this office? To bring my operational oil and gas knowledge to the Commission. Texas and the US needs Texas oil and gas production. But Texans also need potable groundwater. Our current commissioners are jeopardizing both.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1. Making sure small Texas operators are treated fairly and the super majors aren’t getting special treatment.
2. Beneficial re-use of produced water to power data centers and preserve our groundwater.
3. Proper plugging of orphaned and idled wells to make sure operators, not tax dollars, are decommissioning assets.
How will you measure your success as railroad commissioner?
Reduce the number of orphaned wells. Increase the number of inspectors and RRC employees. Increase the actual recovery of fines assessed. Increase the number of public comments at open meetings because people can now access the meetings remotely from their homes across Texas.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents?
I’m qualified and have already earned the respect of landowners, operators, and service companies over the last 4 years I’ve been working back in Texas. I’ve proven that I can get results. And I will bring that same dedication to the RRC where I will get results for all Texans.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their railroad commissioner?
Unfortunately most Texans don’t even know what the RRC does. Those that do, want someone who will evenly and fairly enforce the rules and regulations and carry out the mission. To ensure Texas natural resources aren’t wasted and Texans health and property are protected from energy production activities.
What is the biggest challenge facing the oil and gas industry and Texans whose livelihoods depend on it? How would you address this challenges as commissioner?
The over-injection of produced water threatens to shut down our industry. We inject it deep and it causes earthquakes. We inject it shallow and it over-pressurizes shallow zones and co-mingles with drinking water via artificial penetrations in the ground (old oil and gas wells being one of those).
Please outline your experience in the oil and gas industry. How will that experience inform your tenure as railroad commissioner if elected?
I started working in the oilfield in 1991 driving vacuum trucks at night while going to Stephen F. Austin University. I worked my way through college and then started snubbing pipe after graduation. The industry took me abroad for the next 30 years until I returned in 2021. I’m fourth generation oil and gas. For the past 4 years I’ve been excavating and inspecting legacy oil and gas wells in West Texas and realized the RRC is not doing its job. I will do the job. I’ll bring my operational knowledge to the Commission and enforce the rules even and fairly.
What should the Railroad Commission of Texas do to address orphan oil and gas wells?
First, we need to stop approving permits for operators that have wells out of compliance. Second, we need to start charging $0.10 per barrel of produced water injected into commercial saltwater disposal wells to help fund a better version of the State’s current orphaned well plugging program. We need to ensure money is set aside in new drills that will cover the costs of eventually plugging that well.
Should the Railroad Commission of Texas change its name to better reflect the commission’s duties? Why or why not, and is there an alternative name you’d suggest?
Yes. Voters should know what they’re voting for. Something like the Texas Energy Commission.
What steps should the Railroad Commission of Texas take to prepare for continued population growth and the challenges that come with it?
The most important thing is correcting data about well location. We know that you can’t simply plug a well and forget it. Cement and steel degrade and corrode over time (especially when underground and in constant contact with saltwater). We shouldn’t be building schools or houses over these (which we are). And that will get worse as communities continue to grow into formal rural areas with historic oil and gas production in places like Wise County.
James ‘Jim’ Matlock
Did not respond.
Bo French
Age (as of March 3): 56
Campaign website: bofrench.com
Best way for voters to reach you: info@bofrench.com
Occupation: Investor, Entrepreneur
Education: BA History, TCU
Have you run for elected office before? Texas House District 99, ran 2016 and 2018. Tarrant GOP Chairman, held 2023-2025.
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas: I have served on the FWPD SWAT Support Board, raising 7 figures to support law enforcement. I have been heavily involved in charities for veterans, and one of my companies donates proceeds to charities supporting veterans.
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? I was wrongly sued by the widow of a business partner, and the lawsuit was dropped with prejudice. I sued the campaign of my opponent when his staff made a false CPS claim on my family.
Who are your top three campaign contributors? n/a
Why are you seeking this office? I decided to run because the incumbent has made the RRC a top 10 DEI agency in our state, massively increased regulation, and is a major Democrat donor. The people of Texas deserve someone who stands by their values, and I knew I needed to do my part by running. When I win, Republican voters across Texas will finally have a Railroad Commissioner who represents them and fights ceaselessly for their values.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
1) End the massive overregulation brought about by my opponent. 2) End all DEI spending at the RRC. 3) Stop the Islamic invasion of Texas.
How will you measure your success as railroad commissioner? If we can overhaul permitting, rollback overregulation, and award contracts based on merit, rather than on race-based criteria, which will make our spending more efficient, we will produce energy more efficiently, bringing down energy costs for Texans, and will get more wells plugged. I would call this a success.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? The incumbent is a massive Democrat donor, another candidate is an environmentalist, one ran as the 2024 Libertarian candidate against the Republican nominee, and the other was the 2024 Democrat candidate against the Republican nominee. So in this Republican primary, I am the only candidate who supports the Republican Party, Republican Platform, and conservative values - and I have the track record to prove it.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their railroad commissioner? Texans want someone who represents their interests and puts them first. They want cheap, reliably energy, and they want to stop abandoned wells from ruining their property. I’m the only candidate promising both of these.
What is the biggest challenge facing the oil and gas industry and Texans whose livelihoods depend on it? How would you address this challenges as commissioner?
Two problems: massive new regulations under my opponent, and a Railroad Commission still living in the 19th century. These unnecessary new regulations increase the cost of energy, making it harder and harder for Texans to afford to heat their homes. When you still operate on pen and paper, with permit applications sent by snail mail, you waste precious time that could get operations online that will help people get the energy they need. I will institute a revolutionary new permitting process that will massively cut down on permitting time, and will roll back the massive regulations that raise costs for Texans.
Please outline your experience in the oil and gas industry. How will that experience inform your tenure as railroad commissioner if elected? I have been in the Texas energy sector for 3 decades and have helped grow many successful companies. So I know the business side of things. But I also have property where mismanaged wells have caused environmental damage to my property. So I also deeply understand the perspective of the property owner who is negatively affected by these issues. I’m the only candidate who can truly understand both the business and property owner perspectives. This will help me do what is right for all parties affected by the Railroad Commission.
What should the Railroad Commission of Texas do to address orphan oil and gas wells? The RRC could implement all sorts of cutting edge technology to help track and respond to issues much faster. In addition, most of the money dedicated to well plugging is expended through contractors. Under my opponent, these contracts are awarded on race-based criteria, rather than merit. By ending this, we will be much more efficient with the funds at our disposal, and get more wells plugged.
Should the Railroad Commission of Texas change its name to better reflect the commission’s duties? Why or why not, and is there an alternative name you’d suggest? Ultimately this issue is up to the Legislature and the people of Texas. I don’t have a proposed name that I would recommend. But if the Legislature and the great people of Texas determined that the name should be changed, I would support them in that decision.
What steps should the Railroad Commission of Texas take to prepare for continued population growth and the challenges that come with it? We need to make more energy and make it more efficiently. That means creating a common sense, efficient, and reliable environment for the operators who produce our energy. For example, the RRC doesn’t have the authority to prevent data centers, but it can make sure we produce enough cheap and reliable energy to meet the increased demand.
Katherine Culbert
Age (as of March 3): 51
Campaign website: www.katherine4texas.com
Best way for voters to reach you: info@katherine4texas.com
Occupation: Process Safety Engineer for an Oil & Gas company
Education: BS in Engineering from SUNY College of Environmental Science & Forestry at Syracuse; MBA from the University at Albany; MS in Law from Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law; LBJ Women’s Campaign School at UT Austin
Have you run for elected office before? Railroad Commissioner 2024
Please list the highlights of your civic involvement/activism in Texas:
Women’s Energy Network Houston Section - Membership Committee
Houston Marathon Committee
Past President of the Society of Women Engineers Houston Area Section
Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership Texas Gulf Coast chapter
Have you ever been arrested, charged with a crime or otherwise been part of a criminal proceeding? No
Have you been involved in a civil lawsuit or bankruptcy proceeding? No
Who are your top three campaign contributors?
Sarah Stogner
David Greene
Tonya Knauth
Why are you seeking this office? I am running to help operate the Oil & Gas industry safer to protect our workers and our communities and to protect all of Texas to make sure we continue to have a beautiful state for our children to grow up in.
If elected, what would your top 3 policy priorities be?
Affordability - Texans should have access to an energy system that is reliable and cost-conscious. The RRC should pursue policies that help prevent unnecessary rate burdens and ensure that families, businesses, and local communities benefit from a stable and efficient energy market.
Adaptability - Texas must be prepared for a rapidly changing energy landscape. From new technologies to shifting market demands, the RRC must be capable of modernizing operations and planning for long-term resilience.
Accountability - The RRC needs greater transparency in the agency’s regulatory processes. Texans deserve clear oversight, responsible stewardship of natural resources, and a Commission that is open about how decisions are made and how public input is used.
How will you measure your success as railroad commissioner? I will measure my success as a railroad commissioner by the ability of Texans to afford to heat their homes and by the amount of transparency that is brought to the agency’s regulatory processes.
Why should voters choose you over your opponents? I am a licensed Chemical Engineer who has spent my career in Process Safety Engineering helping companies operate safely to protect communities and workers and follow regulations. I work for an oil & gas company, and I understand the importance of the O&G industry to our economy and our workforce. It is important to have regulators who understand the industry, not those that are enriched by industry activities.
What are Texans looking for and wanting most in their railroad commissioner? Texans deserve a railroad commissioner who cares about them and is willing to ask the tough questions to protect their land to allow their kids to grow up in this great state.
What is the biggest challenge facing the oil and gas industry and Texans whose livelihoods depend on it? How would you address this challenges as commissioner? Trust. The Railroad Commission operates behind a veil of secrecy, and most Texans do not know that it has nothing to do with railroads. I will work to provide greater transparency to the agency’s regulatory process including being open about how decisions are made and increasing public input.
Please outline your experience in the oil and gas industry. How will that experience inform your tenure as railroad commissioner if elected? I have worked as a Process Safety Engineer for over 25 years with Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream companies along with working for consulting firms helping companies in all sectors. This has given me the experience of working in a regulated environment and I have interacted with multiple regulatory agencies throughout my career. I have been exposed to many of the technical matters that come before the Commission. I am confident I will use good engineering practices to look into any technical matters that come before the commission to make sure I understand the issues and the impacts to our communities before making decisions.
What should the Railroad Commission of Texas do to address orphan oil and gas wells?
Eliminating orphan wells needs to start at the drilling permit.
The current bonding program that is supposed to cover the plugging costs needs to be reworked. There needs to be a realistic amount of financial buy-in from drilling companies to fully cover plugging activities. Drilling companies should not be able to transfer their plugging requirements to others with the sale of the well. And drilling companies need to be responsible for monitoring their wells in perpetuity. Additionally, the definition of a producing well needs to be clarified to hold companies accountable for plugging wells sooner.
Should the Railroad Commission of Texas change its name to better reflect the commission’s duties? Why or why not, and is there an alternative name you’d suggest? Yes. I would suggest a name such as the Texas Energy Commission, and I would work with the Texas Legislature to have all energy generation come under the jurisdiction of the agency. That would help the Railroad Commission be open to encouraging all forms of energy generation to keep our energy system reliable and affordable.
What steps should the Railroad Commission of Texas take to prepare for continued population growth and the challenges that come with it? We have been warned that our energy needs are going to increase as our population continues to grow. We need to encourage all forms of energy generation and we need to have a comprehensive energy plan for the whole state that encompasses all forms of energy. We also need to keep in mind that the Railroad Commission’s mission is “responsible stewardship of our natural resources and environment,” so any development that happens in the state should take into consideration the conservation of the beauty of our state.
This story was originally published February 14, 2026 at 3:00 AM.