By Kamryn Anthis | Staff Writer
Beyond the races for U.S. Senate and governor, Texas voters will decide who fills several statewide offices this November — positions that oversee everything from the state’s finances to its oil and gas industry.
Lieutenant governor
Texas voters will elect a lieutenant governor, the leader of the Texas Senate. It is the second-highest executive office in Texas’ government. Republican incumbent Dan Patrick is running against Democrat Vikki Goodwin, Libertarian Anthony Cristo, Green Party candidate Kevin McCormick and two independent write-in candidates.
Attorney general
The attorney general’s race will put a new face in the office after Republican Ken Paxton chose to run for U.S. Senate rather than seek another term. The attorney general serves as the state’s chief lawyer and represents the state in legal proceedings.
Republican Mayes Middleton, Democrat Nathan Johnson and Libertarian Tom Oxford are running for attorney general. The winner will serve a four-year term.
Railroad commissioner
Texas voters will also choose a member of the three-person Railroad Commission for a six-year term. The commission regulates the state’s oil and natural gas — not railroads.
Republican Bo French, Democrat Jon Rosenthal and Libertarian Arthur DiBlanca are running for the seat.
French, a former Tarrant County Republican Party chairman, has called for reducing regulations on the oil and gas industry. Rosenthal, an engineer and former state representative, has emphasized stronger industry oversight.
French has also faced criticism in recent weeks for social media posts about South Asian students at the University of Texas. Several Republican officials condemned the posts, while French defended his comments.
Comptroller of public accounts
Another statewide race will determine who serves as Texas comptroller of public accounts, the state’s chief financial officer. The comptroller oversees the state’s finances, collects state taxes and estimates how much money lawmakers are able to spend.
Republican Don Huffines, who wants to reduce government spending by cutting programs that he believes are unnecessary, will face Democrat Sarah Eckhardt, who has campaigned on increasing transparency in government spending. Additional names on the ballot include Green Party candidate Shehla Faizi and Libertarian V. Alonzo Echavarria-Garza
Agriculture commissioner
Voters will also elect the state’s next agriculture commissioner. The Commissioner leads the Texas Department of Agriculture.
Republican Nate Sheets, who promotes cleaner and healthier food, is running against Democrat Clayton Tucker, who aims to protect family farms and regulate the use of chemicals in agriculture. Libertarian Austin Kelly is also running for the position.
What Baylor students need to know
Houston senior and Baylor College Democrats President Hanna Al-Hayek said she has observed frustration and disengagement with politics among some young voters.
“As a young person myself, I see many of my peers who feel uninterested or unhopeful, and honestly believe that politics can never serve people like them,” Al-Hayek said. “And so to some people, distraction, apathy or ignorance feels like the best option … I know, and you know, the gravity of what these upcoming elections hold.”
While statewide races will appear across Texas, students’ local races will depend on where they are registered to vote.
Jared Goldsmith, McLennan County Elections Administrator, said Baylor students registered outside McLennan County may qualify to vote by mail if they will be away from their home county throughout both early voting and Election Day.
“If they’re registered in their home county, which is not McLennan County where Baylor is located, because they’re going to be away from their home county for the duration of the election, that is, from the beginning of early voting through Election Day, Baylor students do qualify to vote by mail,” Goldsmith said.
Students who consider Waco their residence can instead register to vote in McLennan County. The deadline to register for the Nov. 3 election is Oct. 5.
“If they want to vote by mail, they need to contact their home county in which they are registered,” Goldsmith said. “If they want to vote here, then they need to get registered to vote, and that deadline is October 5th, which is coming up quickly, so action needs to be taken.”
Students who are unsure of their registration status can check through the Texas Secretary of State’s voter registration portal.
