Railroad commish candidate visits Basin

Although railroad commissioners cannot change federal policy, candidate Christi Craddick said she hopes to influence policy and regulations if  elected to the position.

“It’s the Obama administration not liking the oil and gas industry,” she said. “I’d like to get (President Barack) Obama on a solar-powered airplane and have a discussion about that.”

Craddick, daughter of state Rep. and former Texas House Speaker Tom Craddick, is running for the Texas Railroad Commission position vacated by Elizabeth Ames Jones as she runs for the U.S. Senate. Craddick is running for Seat 3 and will face Becky Berger, Beryl Burgess, Warren Chisum and Roland Sledge in the Repulican primary election tentatively slated for April 3. Redistricting issues could change the primary date.

Craddick was in Odessa on Wednesday for a meet-and-greet event at the Odessa Country Club.

Texas has long been known for siding with mineral rights owners, favoring oil and gas companies, but she said the job is about remaining even-handed and protecting property owners while also protecting business.

“I think you have to strike a balance,” Craddick said. “I think you’ve got to make sure we’ve got fair and consistent regulations.”

And with the growth in the industry, she said protecting businesses is also a priority.

Craddick said jobs are important in Texas and other states look to the commission for guidance on fostering that growth.

“I think it’s all about jobs,” she said. “Am I going to protect it? Yeah.”

With many environmental studies against hydraulic fracturing, or “fracking,” Craddick said much of the information available is still inaccurate, beginning with Environmental Protection Agency studies.

She said the studies are often biased or uses information that stretches to make a point.

“For the sake of Texas, there is no ground well that has been fracked you can prove contaminated the groundwater,” Craddick said.

Kirk Edwards, president of MacLondon Royalty, said Craddick is someone who could help with the growing industry.

“We’re always trying to find people that serve and have some experience in energy and that’s always important for that position,” he said. “I’m very impressed with her knowledge of the issues and so much of it is learning what the issues are in Texas and knowing how to deal with them.”

Craddick said she has worked on all sides of energy disputes in her law firm, from the property owner’s side to the mineral rights owner’s side to the pipeline side, and that kind of perspective could help her in the job.

Her small business experience also could help, she said.

“If you’re going to run for government, I don’t want a bureaucrat,” Craddick said. “I want someone who’s good at business.”

@OAcourts