UPDATED: See the latest midterm 2022 returns for all Texas races here.
In addition to the races for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general, four other key state offices were also up for re-election on Election Day.
All four offices -- comptroller, land commissioner, railroad commissioner and agriculture commissioner -- will remain under Republican leadership after Tuesday's election.
The challengers all faced an uphill climb with no Democrat winning a statewide office in Texas since 1994.
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MILLER WINS RACE FOR TEXAS AGRICULTURE COMMISSIONER
The Texas Department of Agriculture will continue to be led by Commissioner Sid Miller, who won his third term Tuesday night.
After being declared winner, Miller said on Twitter he was humbled and thanked voters for their support.
Miller was challenged by Democrat Susan Hays who told the Dallas Morning News she was running "because of the incompetency and corruption of the incumbent, and my frustration at watching all the missed opportunities for rural Texas and our food supply."
Over the years Miller has been accused of mismanagement, corruption and improper conduct, but said the allegations were politically motivated.
In April he urged Republican Gov. Greg Abbott to walk back the inspections he ordered that led to hours and hours of delays for trucks crossing the border. Miller questioned what the governor's holdout achieved, and in the case of Abbott’s agreement with Nuevo Leon, said it did not appear substantive and there was no enforcement.
According to the agency's website, the TDA was created "to promote production agriculture, consumer protection, economic development and healthy living." The agriculture commissioner is elected every four years. Miller was first elected in 2014 and reelected in 2018.
BUCKINGHAM WINS RACE FOR TEXAS LAND COMMISSIONER
The Texas General Land Office is currently led by Commissioner George P. Bush, who is not seeking reelection after stepping down to run for Texas Attorney General. Bush did not advance past incumbent Attorney General Ken Paxton in the March primary.
Bush's spot at the Texas GLO will now be filled by Republican Dawn Buckingham who defeated Democrat Jay Kleberg and Green party candidate Alfred Molison on Tuesday night.
"We did it, Texas! After crisscrossing our beautiful state for more than a year, tonight’s resounding victory is a testament to the hard work of so many people who believed in me and put their faith behind this campaign," Buckingham said on Twitter Tuesday night. "I am immensely grateful to my family, my incredible campaign team, and the thousands of Texans who spoke with their friends and neighbors about the stakes of this race and what the General Land Office can do to protect the Texas we know and love."
"In the weeks ahead, we’ll begin the process of transitioning Team Buckingham into the GLO. I’m excited to hit the ground running by working to fulfill the promise of this campaign & keeping faith with the millions of voters who supported our vision for a brighter Texas," Buckingham said.
Buckingham is a doctor and member of the Texas Senate since 2017. She was the first Republican from Travis County ever elected to the State Senate and the first woman to be elected to represent District 24. Buckingham's biography said she's served as a volunteer firefighter, graduated from the Texas A&M Fire School, and is an avid hunter and outdoorswoman. Buckingham told our partners at the Dallas Morning News that she loved serving in the State Senate but felt like she was the best person to fill the void left by Bush.
Democrat Jay Kleberg, a King Ranch scion, is also a conservationist, film producer and former associate director of the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation. Kleberg told our partners at the Dallas Morning News that he'd bring more than a decade of land management experience and "a deep understanding of our state’s challenges" to the GLO. He counted George H.W. Bush among his most admired political leaders and said he plans to return the GLO to an agency that respects the land, honors veterans and helps fund the future of Texas children.
Following the loss, Kleberg issued a statement on Twitter which read in part: "For the past year, I’ve had the absolute honor and privilege of talking to Republicans, Independents, and Democrats alike about the importance of the General Land Office and the immense role it plays in Texans' everyday lives," Kleberg said. "I offer my congratulations to Dawn Buckingham, and I hope she will find the courage to push through partisan politics and focus on helping Texans who desperately need the General Land Office to step up and do its job."
According to the agency's website, the Texas GLO is the oldest state agency in Texas and "primarily serves the schoolchildren, veterans, and the environment of Texas ... through the stewardship of state lands and natural resources."
CHRISTIAN WINS RACE FOR TEXAS RAILROAD COMMISSIONER
Wayne Christian is the current Chairman of the Railroad Commission of Texas and won his second term as a commissioner on Tuesday night.
"I am excited to serve a second term on the Texas Railroad Commission fighting for energy independence and the jobs, economic growth, and national security that come along with it," Christian said on Twitter after the win. "We cannot allow Biden's radical agenda, based on unproven, politicized science, to take root in Texas, we need more domestic oil and gas production to drive down the cost of gasoline and groceries and ensure the reliability of our grid."
Christian held off three challengers, Democrat Luke Warford, Libertarian Jaime Diez and Green party candidate Hunter Crow.
Christian was first elected to the Railroad Commission in 2016 and is a former state representative who also served as the president of the Texas Conservative Coalition. Christian nearly punched his ticket for November in the March primary, but with only 47% of the vote in a field of five candidates, he fell three points short and was forced into a runoff with Sarah Stogner.
Christan told the Dallas Morning News he wants to lead a conservative Railroad Commission that would continue to push back against overreach from the Biden Administration while working to modernize the agency.
Warford told our partners at the Dallas Morning News that he was running for office because of the power grid failure and hundreds of Texans who died after the 2021 winter storm "and because when the power was out, the Commissioners focused on making billions in profits for their campaign donors and passing those costs on to consumers instead of working tirelessly to get the grid back online." Warford said the commission needs to embrace technology and innovation to keep Texas an energy leader.
According to the agency's website, the Railroad Commission of Texas "is the state agency with primary regulatory jurisdiction over the oil and natural gas industry, pipeline transporters, natural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industry, natural gas utilities, the LP-gas industry, and coal and uranium surface mining operations."
Three Texas railroad commissioners are elected statewide to six-year, staggered terms. The chairman is chosen by the commissioners. One commissioner position is on the ballot every two years.
HEGAR WINS RACE FOR TEXAS COMPTROLLER
Republican Glenn Hegar has been the state's comptroller since 2014 and won his third term Tuesday night after holding off Democratic challenger Janet Dudding.
In a statement on Twitter, Hegar thanked the people of Texas for their votes of confidence.
"I am honored and humbled that the people of the great state of Texas have once again entrusted me with the responsibility of helping to guide the Texas economy through challenging times," Hegar said. "I look forward to continuing to serve the taxpayers of Texas as their Comptroller. Thank you for your support. God bless you all. And may God continue to bless the great state of Texas."
According to the agency's website, "the comptroller is Texas’ chief tax collector, accountant, revenue estimator, treasurer and purchasing manager, the agency is responsible for writing the checks and keeping the books for the multi-billion-dollar business of state government."
Dudding, a CPA who has spent her career auditing and accounting for state and local governments, was the Democratic party's choice to unseat Hegar. She was joined in the field by Libertarian Alonzo Echeverria-Garza.
DECISION 2022
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