Jim Wright (Texas politician)
| James Dwayne "Jim" Wright | |
 | |
Texas Railroad Commissioner
| |
| Incumbent | |
| Assumed office January 2021 | |
| Governor | Greg Abbott |
|---|---|
| Preceded by | Ryan Sitton |
| Born | January 23, 1962 |
| Political party | Republican |
| Spouse(s) | Sherry Wright |
| Children | Five children |
| Residence | Orange Grove Jim Wells County, Texas |
| Alma mater | Calallen High School (Corpus Christi) |
| Occupation | Businessman; Rancher |
| Religion | Lutheran; often attends The Cowboy Church |
James Dwayne Wright, known as Jim Wright (born January 23, 1962) is the newest member of the Texas Railroad Commission, a body which regulates the oil and natural gas industries in Texas. A Republican, Wright is unrelated to the similarly named James Claude "Jim" Wright, a past Democratic Speaker of the United States House of Representatives from Fort Worth, who was forced from office in 1991.[1]
Wright is a fifth-generation rancher and businessman, who created a group of environmental services companies. He is a former National Professional Bull Rider. He competed in the national finals of the National High School Rodeo Association, while he was attending Calallen High School in Corpus Christi. He rode bulls competitively for more than two decades and was a member of the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. He and his wife, Sherry, reside in Orange Grove in Jim Wells County, some forty miles from Corpus Christi.[2] The couple has five children. He has lived all of his life in south Texas.[3]
In 2020, in a low-budgeted campaign, Wright was elected as railroad commissioner. He unseated the one-term incumbent Ryan Sitton in the Republican primary on March 3 and then easily won the general election on November 3. Sitton, who was at odds with then commission chairman Christi Craddick, barely campaigned in the primary; his defeat was shocking to many political observers. In the general election, he defeated a Democratic opponent.[4]
Wright is a Lutheran but mostly attends The Cowboy Church, a conservative congregation in which his son, Luke, is a minister.[3]
References
- ↑ Asher Price (March 4, 2020). Did Jim Wright pull an upset on Tuesday because of his name?. The Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved on January 30, 2021.
- ↑ Jim Wright. Texas Railroad Commission. Retrieved on January 31, 2021.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 James Wright (Dwayne). Mylife.com. Retrieved on January 30, 2021.
- ↑ Texas Secretary of State, Election Returns, March 3 and November 3, 2021.
