Pumpjack-riding Republican trolls her way across Texas in a campaign that’s anything but boring
Sarah Stogner, a Texas Railroad Commission candidate, attends a panel discussion that included incumbent Wayne Christian during the Empower, a bitcoin mining event, held at 8th Wonder Brewery, 2202 Dallas St., Wednesday, March 30, 2022, in Houston.It was another day of campaigning, and Sarah Stogner was already in a feud.
That’s a lot of what she does now, since sling-shotting from political obscurity into serious contention for a seat that few Texans understand or closely follow. But the agency has come under fresh criticism since last year’s deadly winter blackouts. The natural gas operators it regulates cut production as demand for power spiked, creating a scarcity that helped bring in record profits.
, barely clothed. She explained at the time that she was trying to get her name out against a well-funded opponent. But convincing Republican voters in the weeks since that she has an actual vision for the job hasn’t been easy.the state with help from a volunteer driver and bodyguard who goes by “Hawk.” Watt and a group of other close friends have stepped in as de facto strategists, helping Stogner plot out stops and Republican speaking events via group text chat.
“We’re just kind of figuring out what you as a voter would want your politicians to do,” Watt said. “And you would want them to be accessible. You want them to be open and you want them to be honest. So that’s what we’re doing.” Watt says she’s frustrated with the agency’s reluctance to defend landowners and the resources they depend on.