Changes

|preceded=Roy Morris Blake, Jr. (2005-2007)

|preceded=Roy Morris Blake, Jr. (2005-2007)

         |former=

         |former=

|succeeded=Chris Paddie

|succeeded=Chris Paddie

}}

}}

'''Wayne Christian''' (born September 26, 1950)<ref>[http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=164&searchparams=chamber%3D%26city%3D%26countyID%3D0%26district%3D%26first%3DWayne%26gender%3D%26last%3DChristian%26leaderNote%3D%26leg%3D%26party%3D%26roleDesc%3D%26Committee%3D Legislative Reference Library]</ref> is a [[business]]man from Center in East [[Texas]], who is a [[Republican Party|Republican]]  

'''Wayne Christian''' (born September 26, 1950)<ref>[http://www.lrl.state.tx.us/legeLeaders/members/memberDisplay.cfm?memberID=164&searchparams=chamber%3D%26city%3D%26countyID%3D0%26district%3D%26first%3DWayne%26gender%3D%26last%3DChristian%26leaderNote%3D%26leg%3D%26party%3D%26roleDesc%3D%26Committee%3D Legislative Reference Library]</ref> is a [[business]]man from Center in East [[Texas]], who is a [[Republican Party|Republican]] member of the three-person [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a regulatory body to which he was handily elected statewide in the [[general election]] held on November 8, 2016.

member of the [[Texas Railroad Commission]], a regulatory body to which he was handily elected statewide in the [[general election]] held on November 8, 2016.

Christian is also a former member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 9 (Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby counties).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waynechristiancampaign.com/|title=Wayne Christian for State Representative|publisher=waynechristiancampaign.com|accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref>

Christian is also a former member of the Texas House of Representatives for District 9 (Jasper, Nacogdoches, Sabine, San Augustine, and Shelby counties).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.waynechristiancampaign.com/|title=Wayne Christian for State Representative|publisher=waynechristiancampaign.com|accessdate=July 5, 2011}}</ref>

In 2014, Christian ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for one of the three seats on the Railroad Commission. He lost to intra-party challenger Ryan Sitton, an oil and natural gas engineer from Friendswood, Texas, who polled 398,652 (57.3 percent). Christian trailed with 297,654 ballots (42.7 percent in a low-turnout contest).

In 2014, Christian ran unsuccessfully in the Republican primary for one of the three seats on the Railroad Commission. He lost to intra-party challenger Ryan Sitton, an oil and natural gas engineer from Friendswood, Texas, who polled 398,652 (57.3 percent). Christian trailed with 297,654 ballots (42.7 percent in a low-turnout contest).

However, Christian rebounded in 2016 to claim the party nomination for the Railroad Commission by defeating in a runoff contest the businessman Gary Gates of Richmond, Texas. In the general election, Christian lost the large cities of [[San Antonio]], [[Dallas]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Austin, Texas|Austin]], and [[El Paso]] but nevertheless defeated the Democrat Grady Yarbrough, a retired African-American educator and a perennial candidate. Christian polled 4,643,339 votes (53.2 percent) to Yarbrough's 2,484,781 (38.5 percent). The [[Libertarian Party|Libertarian]] nominee, Mark Miller, endorsed by the ''Dallas Morning News'', trailed with 312,952 votes (4.9 percent). The Green Party choice, Martina Salinas, trailed with 181,314 votes (2.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov08_319_state.htm|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref>

However, Christian rebounded in 2016 to claim the party nomination for the Railroad Commission by defeating in a runoff contest the businessman Gary Gates of Richmond, Texas. In the general election, Christian lost the large cities of [[San Antonio]], [[Dallas]], [[Houston, Texas|Houston]], [[Austin]], and [[El Paso]] but nevertheless defeated the Democrat Grady Yarbrough, an [[African-American]] retired educator and a perennial candidate. Christian polled 4,643,339 votes (53.2 percent) to Yarbrough's 2,484,781 (38.5 percent). The [[Libertarian Party|Libertarian]] nominee, Mark Miller, endorsed by the ''Dallas Morning News'', trailed with 312,952 votes (4.9 percent). The Green Party choice, Martina Salinas, polled 181,314 votes (2.8 percent).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://enrpages.sos.state.tx.us/public/nov08_319_state.htm|title=Election Returns|date=November 8, 2016|publisher=Texas Secretary of State|accessdate=November 9, 2016}}</ref>

== References ==

== References ==

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Christian, Wayne}}