Wayne Christian retracts “only Christian on the ballot” slogan after outcry from Jewish opponent Luke Warford
Christian, who’s running for reelection to the Texas Railroad Commission, said he did not realize Warford was Jewish and would stop using the slogan, which he’s used for previous campaigns.
Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian during a forum in Paris, Texas, on April 26.
Credit:
Ben Torres for The Texas Tribune
Sign up for The Brief, our daily newsletter that keeps readers up to speed on the most essential Texas news.
Since 1996, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian has campaigned using a slogan that made reference to his last name: “Remember to vote for the only Christian on the ballot.”
But on Friday, Christian’s campaign said it will stop using the slogan after being called out by Democratic opponent Luke Warford, who is Jewish. Christian said he did not know Warford’s religion.
The two face off for the seat on the oil and gas regulatory board on Nov. 8. Early voting started this week and continues through next week.
Warford took to Twitter on Thursday evening, calling Christian’s comments “bigoted.” “Incumbent Wayne Christian is too focused on spouting lazy, hateful nonsense to actually do his job,” he wrote.
Voting FAQ: 2024 Elections
When is the next election? What dates do I need to know?
Election Day for the general election is November 5, and early voting will run from Oct. 21 to Nov. 1. The deadline to register to vote and/or change your voter registration address is Oct. 7. Applications to vote by mail must be received by your county of residence – not postmarked – by Oct. 25.
What’s on the ballot for the general election?
In addition to the president, eligible Texans have the opportunity to cast their ballots for many Texas officials running for office at the federal, state and local levels.
This includes representatives in the U.S. and Texas houses and the following elected offices:
-1 U.S Senator (Ted Cruz)
- 1 of 3 Railroad Commissioners
- 15 State Senators
- 7 State Board of Education members
- 3 members of the Texas Supreme Court
- 3 members of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals
- 5 Chief Justices and various justices for Texas Courts of Appeals
- Lower-level judges and local county offices will also appear on the ballot:
- Various district judges, including on criminal and family courts
- County Courts at Law
- Justices of the Peace
- District Attorneys
- County Attorneys
- Sheriffs
- Constables
- Tax Assessor-Collectors
How do I make sure I’m registered to vote?
You can check to see if you’re registered and verify your information through the Texas Secretary of State’s website. You’ll need one of the following three combinations to log in:
Your Texas driver’s license number and date of birth.
Your first and last names, date of birth and county you reside in.
Your date of birth and Voter Unique Identifier, which appears on your voter registration certificate.
How do I register to vote if I haven’t?
You can request a postage-paid application through the mail or find one at county voter registrars’ offices and some post offices, government offices, or high schools. You can also print out the online application and mail it to the voter registrar in your county.
Applications must be postmarked by the Oct. 7 deadline. Download your application here.
Additionally, you can register to vote through the Texas Department of Public Safety while renewing your driver’s license. You may be able to register to vote online if you’re also allowed to renew your license online. This is the only form of online registration in the state.
After you register to vote, you will receive a voter registration certificate within 30 days. It’ll contain your voter information, including the Voter Unique Identifier number needed to update your voter registration online. If the certificate has incorrect information, you’ll need to note corrections and send it to your local voter registrar as soon as possible.
The voter registration certificate can also be used as a secondary form of ID when you vote if you don’t have one of the seven state-approved photo IDs
Travis McCormick, a spokesperson for Christian, told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an interview Friday that the slogan was nothing more than a joke to help voters remember Christian’s name. “We definitely would not have said it if we realized our opponent was Jewish,” McCormick said. McCormick also said Christian will not use the tagline moving forward.
Christian told The Texas Tribune he has "nothing but love and support for the Jewish community, and strongly condemns anti-semitism of any kind,"
Warford was largely unmoved by Christian’s response.
What you can expect from our elections coverage
How we explain voting
We explain the voting process with election-specific voter guides to help Texans learn what is on the ballot and how to vote. We interview voters, election administrators and election law experts so that we can explain the process, barriers to participation and what happens after the vote is over and the counting begins. Read more here.
How readers inform our work
Instead of letting only politicians set the agenda, we talk to voters and scrutinize polling data to understand ordinary Texans’ top concerns. Our readers’ questions and needs help inform our priorities. We want to hear from readers: What do you better want to understand about the election process in Texas? If local, state or congressional elected officials were to successfully address one issue right now, what would you want it to be? What’s at stake for you this election cycle? If we’re missing something, this is your chance to tell us.
How we hold officials accountable
We do not merely recount what politicians say, but focus on what they do (or fail to do) for the Texans they represent. We aim to provide historical, legal and other kinds of context so readers can understand and engage with an issue. Reporting on efforts that make voting and engaging in our democracy harder is a pillar of our accountability work. Read more here.
How we choose what races to cover
We aren’t able to closely cover all 150 races in the Texas House, 31 in the Texas Senate or 38 for the Texas delegation in the next U.S. House. We need to choose what races we cover closely by using our best judgment of what’s most noteworthy. We take into account factors like power, equity, interest and competitiveness in order to determine what warrants more resources and attention. Read more here.
How we cover misinformation
In reporting on falsehoods and exaggerations, we clearly explain why it is untrue and how it may harm Texans. Sometimes, we choose to not write about misinformation because that can help amplify it. We’re more likely to debunk falsehoods when they are spread by elected officials or used as a justification for policy decisions. Read more here.
“While I’m glad Christian apologized, this moment is just another example of how out of touch he is,” Warford said in a statement Friday. “Texans deserve elected officials who don’t just repeat the same tired lines and instead are willing to come to the table to solve the very real challenges facing our state.”
Christian served as a state representative from 1997-2005 and from 2007-13. He was first elected as one of three state railroad commissioners, who head the Texas Railroad Commission, in 2016. The organization, the oldest regulatory agency in Texas, oversees the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, coal and uranium mining, and more. The Railroad Commission has not had authority or jurisdiction over state railroads since 2005.
Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.
Texans need truth. Help us report it.
Independent Texas reporting needs your support. The Texas Tribune delivers fact-based journalism for Texans, by Texans — and our community of members, the readers who donate, make our work possible. Help us bring you and millions of others in-depth news and information. Will you support our nonprofit newsroom with a donation of any amount?
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/files/32d323a5d26d81a6cf608929bcc36ea0/GOP%20Railroad%20Commission%20BT%20TT%2026.jpg)
/https://static.texastribune.org/media/profiles/Trent_Brown_TT_01.jpg)