Chrysta Castaneda

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Chrysta Castañeda

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 3, 2020

Education

Law

Southern Methodist University, Dedman School of Law

Contact

Campaign website

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Chrysta Castañeda (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas Railroad Commission. She lost in the general election on November 3, 2020.

Castañeda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. Click here to read the survey answers.

Castaneda ran unsuccessfully in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Texas' 33rd Congressional District.

Biography

Castaneda is an attorney practicing in the area of oil and gas litigation. She is the founding partner of The Castañeda Firm, an energy litigation firm in Dallas, Texas. The following is an outline of Castaneda's educational credentials, awards, and association memberships.

Education

• B.A. in industrial engineering, Kansas State University
• J.D., Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law

Awards and associations

• Products Liability Advisory Council, Sustaining Member 2003-2010
• Dallas Bar Association, Member – Judiciary, Bench Bar, Media Relations and Courthouse Committees
• Dallas Bar Foundation, Member
• Texas Bar Foundation, Fellow
• Texas Women’s Foundation, Board of Directors
• Kansas State University School of Engineering, Advisory Board
• Texas Verdicts Hall of Fame, Texas Lawyer, 2019
• Women in Business Award, Dallas Business Journal, 2019
• Elite Trial Lawyers award, The National Law Journal, 2018
• Best Lawyers in Dallas, Commercial Litigation, D Magazine, 2018, 2019
• Awarded 12th Largest US Verdict in 2016, TopVerdict.com
• Awarded Largest Texas Breach of Contract Verdict in 2016, Texas Lawyer
• Awarded Texas Lawyer’s Women in Energy Award, The Texas Lawyer, 2016
• Ranked in Super Lawyers™, published by Thomson Reuters, 2012, 2018. 2019

Elections

2020

See also: Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2020

General election

General election for Texas Railroad Commission

James Wright defeated Chrysta Castañeda, Matt Sterett, and Katija Gruene in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Wright (R)	53.0	5,831,263
		Chrysta Castañeda (D)	43.6	4,792,422
		Matt Sterett (L)	2.3	247,659
	Submit photo	Katija Gruene (G)	1.2	129,638

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 11,000,982
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary runoff election

Democratic primary runoff for Texas Railroad Commission

Chrysta Castañeda defeated Roberto Alonzo in the Democratic primary runoff for Texas Railroad Commission on July 14, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chrysta Castañeda	62.0	579,698
		Roberto Alonzo	38.0	355,053

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 934,751
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission

Chrysta Castañeda and Roberto Alonzo advanced to a runoff. They defeated Kelly Stone and Mark Watson in the Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Chrysta Castañeda	33.8	598,638
✔		Roberto Alonzo	28.7	506,748
		Kelly Stone	21.7	383,453
		Mark Watson	15.8	279,911

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,768,750
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Republican primary election

Republican primary for Texas Railroad Commission

James Wright defeated incumbent Ryan Sitton in the Republican primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 3, 2020.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		James Wright	55.3	991,593
		Ryan Sitton	44.7	801,904

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,793,497
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Green convention

Green convention for Texas Railroad Commission

Katija Gruene advanced from the Green convention for Texas Railroad Commission on April 18, 2020.

		Candidate
✔	Submit photo	Katija Gruene (G)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Libertarian convention

Libertarian convention for Texas Railroad Commission

Matt Sterett defeated Charlie Stevens in the Libertarian convention for Texas Railroad Commission on August 3, 2020.

		Candidate
✔		Matt Sterett (L)
		Charlie Stevens (L)

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

2012

See also: Texas' 33rd Congressional District elections, 2012

Castaneda ran in the 2012 election for the U.S. House to represent Texas' 33rd District. She was defeated by Domingo Garcia and Marc Veasey in the Democratic primary on May 29, 2012.

U.S. House, Texas District 33 Democratic Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Marc Veasey Incumbent	36.8%	6,938
Domingo Garcia	25%	4,715
Kathleen Hicks	12.6%	2,372
David Alameel	10.9%	2,064
Manuel Valdez	4.7%	884
Steve Salazar	2.6%	482
Chrysta Castaneda	2.1%	395
Jason E. Roberts	1.8%	342
Carlos Quintanilla	1.5%	286
Kyev Tatum, Sr.	1.1%	201
J. R. Molina	1%	189
Total Votes		18,868

Campaign themes

2020

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Chrysta Castañeda completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2019. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Castañeda's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Expand all | Collapse all

Who are you? Tell us about yourself.

I am an engineer, an oil and gas attorney, a community organizer and mom, with over 30 years of experience working in and around the oil and gas industry. I currently serve as a board member of the Texas Women's Foundation and was previously the board chair of Ignite Texas, a non-partisan organization focused on building political ambition in young women. In addition, I have held leadership positions in a variety of non-profit agencies focused on improving the lives of women.

The Railroad Commission is the regulator of the oil and gas industry, one of the largest drivers of the Texas economy. The current Railroad Commissioners are not enforcing existing laws on flaring, a wasteful practice that burns enough natural gas to power the City of Houston and causes harm to our environment and health. I have the expertise to get the Railroad Commission back on track.

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

• We need to stop wasting our natural resources and harming our environment by allowing the flaring of enough natural gas to power the City of Houston.
• We need to reduce methane emissions, which contribute to global warming.
• We need to reuse and reclaim the water that is used in oil and gas operations.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

The Texas Railroad Commission oversees all of the oil and gas operations in the State of Texas. Its activities have a big impact on our environment and health, but the current Railroad Commissioners are not enforcing our laws and protections. We can reduce the practice of harmful flaring and help companies employ new technologies that will put the gas to beneficial use. We can significantly reduce the environmental impact of oil and gas by enforcing existing laws and educating operators on the best methods of production.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

I admire the parents of the world! Parents work hard every day to hold a job and provide for their children. They balance the needs of their families and themselves. We have to do the same thing outside our own families. We are our own best examples.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Integrity, intelligence, determination, and tenacity

What legacy would you like to leave?

I'd like to lend my expertise, time and talents to help solve some of the biggest problems facing humankind.

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

The moon landing in 1969. I was six.

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

I have worked since age 14 at a variety of jobs. I have been a waitress, a dishwasher, a newspaper delivery person, a sales clerk prior to my professional career.

What is something that has been a struggle in your life?

In the first two years of my college career, I attended an Ivy League University. After my sophomore year, my parents could no longer afford my tuition and I had to relocate to my home state of Kansas. I transferred to an in-state school, Kansas State University where I graduated with my B.S. in Industrial Engineering. Transferring back home was a sacrifice I had to make not only for my parents but for my younger siblings who also had plans to attend college.

What responsibilities of this office do you personally consider the most important?

Enforcing existing laws that will help the industry move towards safer environmental practices.

Are there any little-known powers or responsibilities held by this office that you believe more people should be aware of?

People should know that the Railroad Commission is one of the most powerful state agencies in Texas. It plays an impactful role in our economy and environment.

What kind of skills or expertise do you believe would be the most helpful for the holders of this office to possess?

In-Depth knowledge of the oil and gas industry. It is an incredibly complex business and there are a variety of stakeholders impacted by its activities. Without an in-depth understanding, it will be difficult for any officeholder to be effective in this role.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

2012

Castaneda's campaign website listed the following issues:

• Women's Healthcare

Excerpt: "Women's healthcare is under attack in Texas and elsewhere. Millions of women obtain primary care through Planned Parenthood, but Texas and Congress are removing funding from these programs and providers. "

• Medicare/Social Security

Excerpt: "The Ryan Budget passed by the Republican-controlled Congress preserves tax breaks for the wealthy but would end Medicare as it currently exists and threatens Social Security. This is wrong. Chrysta will preserve and strengthen these programs for those who rely on them."

• The Economy and Jobs

Excerpt: "Chrysta will work to bring clean manufacturing jobs back to District 33, which has long been the home of top manufacturing firms. We no longer manufacture critical-care cancer drugs in the United States. We increasingly rely on foreign companies to produce them, potentially compromising the safety of the drug supply."

• Community Redevelopment

Excerpt: "District 33 is at a crossroads of new development and change, which can enhance quality of life but has the potential to disrupt communities and displace current residents. Chrysta believes that we need to balance economic growth and development with the need to preserve the unique qualities of our neighborhoods as they exist."

• Equal Rights

Excerpt: "Chrysta supports full equality for women, minorities and LGBT persons, including employment nondiscrimination, marital rights and medical consent. Chrysta will support legislation to end all forms of discrimination and bullying."

See also

2020 Elections

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