Katherine Culbert

This page was current at the end of the individual's last campaign covered by Ballotpedia. Please contact us with any updates.

Katherine Culbert

Democratic Party

Elections and appointments

Last election

November 5, 2024

Education

Bachelor's

State University of New York, 1997

Graduate

Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, 2020

Personal

Birthplace

Herkimer, N.Y.

Profession

Engineer

Contact

Campaign website

Campaign Facebook

Campaign Twitter

Campaign Instagram

Campaign YouTube

Personal Facebook

Personal Instagram

Personal LinkedIn

Katherine Culbert (Democratic Party) ran for election to the Texas Railroad Commission. She lost in the general election on November 5, 2024.

Culbert completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. Click here to read the survey answers.

Biography

Katherine Culbert was born in Herkimer, New York. She earned a bachelor's degree from the State University of New York in 1997 and a graduate degree from the Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in 2020. Her career experience includes working as an engineer. Culbert has been affiliated with the Society of Women Engineers, Women's Energy Network, Climate Reality Project, League of Women Voters, and Commission Shift.

Elections

2024

See also: Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2024

General election

General election for Texas Railroad Commission

Incumbent Christi Craddick defeated Katherine Culbert, Eddie Espinoza, Hawk Dunlap, and Richard McKibbin in the general election for Texas Railroad Commission on November 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christi Craddick (R)	55.6	6,100,218
		Katherine Culbert (D)	39.0	4,275,904
		Eddie Espinoza (G)	2.8	301,793
		Hawk Dunlap (L)	2.6	285,544
		Richard McKibbin (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	1,656

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 10,965,115
= 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

Katherine Culbert defeated Bill Burch in the Democratic primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Katherine Culbert	67.6	615,965
		Bill Burch	32.4	294,628

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 910,593
= 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

Incumbent Christi Craddick defeated James Matlock, Christie Clark, Corey Howell, and Petra Reyes in the Republican primary for Texas Railroad Commission on March 5, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Christi Craddick	50.4	982,457
		James Matlock	26.6	517,624
		Christie Clark	11.7	228,395
	Submit photo	Corey Howell	6.3	122,802
		Petra Reyes	5.0	97,280

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,948,558
= 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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Chris Corner (R)

Green convention

Green convention for Texas Railroad Commission

Eddie Espinoza advanced from the Green convention for Texas Railroad Commission on April 13, 2024.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Eddie Espinoza (G)	100.0	51

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 51
= 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

Hawk Dunlap defeated Chris Fuller in the Libertarian convention for Texas Railroad Commission on April 14, 2024.

		Candidate
✔		Hawk Dunlap (L)
	Submit photo	Chris Fuller (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.

Endorsements

Culbert received the following endorsements.

• Texas AFL-CIO

Campaign themes

2024

Ballotpedia survey responses

See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection

Katherine Culbert completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2024. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Culbert'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 a Chemical Engineer who has spent my career in Process Safety Engineering. I work for an oil & gas company, and I understand the importance of the oil & gas industry to the Texas economy and to our workforce. I have been working in Process Safety for over 20 years for both oil & gas companies and chemical companies. For those that are not privy to the industry, process safety deals with keeping the hazardous materials in the pipe or vessels and not being released into the community. Process Safety works to protect workers and the environment to allow companies to operate without doing undue harm. I have worked for Upstream, Midstream, and Downstream companies. In addition to my staff position, I also own a consulting firm specializing in Pipeline and Process Safety Regulatory Compliance. I am uniquely qualified for this position due to my experience in the industry that the RRC regulates. Currently, none of the current Commissioners have industry experience.

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?

• 1. Protection of the Environment. I am deeply committed to operating with the highest regard for safety, protecting both our workers and communities. The Railroad Commission’s mission is “…to serve Texas by our concern for personal and community safety,” this means strict adherence to safety protocols in every aspect of oil and gas operations, ensuring not only compliance but also a proactive approach to preventing incidents and environmental damage. I want all oil and gas workers to go home at the end of the day in the same or better condition as when they came to work. And I want industry to care about the communities they operate in, and to protect all of Texas to make sure we have a healthy environment for kids to grow up in.
• 2. Corporate Accountability. I believe in strict accountability for corporations in the oil and gas industry. It is essential to question and scrutinize their actions, particularly when they seek exceptions to regulations. We must make these multi-billion-dollar corporations consider the impact their operations will have on surrounding communities and the risks they pose. Right now, corporations ask for extensions for their venting and flaring permits and the RRC grants them without question. The Commission has only denied 44 out of more than 8,000 flaring exceptions since May 2021, according to their own database. That is not making companies follow the rules and it is hurting all of us in Texas and beyond.
• 3. Transparency. I aim to challenge the status quo and question how decisions are made, especially when it comes to corporate influence and campaign contributions. It is vital that the Commission’s actions are driven by the best interests of Texans, not by corporate donations. I will work to allow for every decision made to be transparent, fair, and make sure the safety and well-being of our communities comes first.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

I am most passionate about environmental justice. While working in the League of Women Voters Rising Stars program, I worked diligently on a program to address environmental justice in the Houston area. We were able to better understand the issues facing certain neighborhoods and worked to help them have a voice in local government. And I led the Environment huddle with Indivisible TxLege to support good environmental bills and speak out against bills that would damage the Texas environment. Working with Commission Shift helped me connect with more residents across the state to understand the impacts the oil and gas industry is having on other marginalized communities.

What qualities does this office possess that makes it a unique and important part of the state government and legal system?

The Texas Railroad Commission is arguably the most powerful agency in Texas. The oil and gas industry is the major economic driver for the Texas economy and regulating it is important for protecting natural resources, the environment, and the people of Texas.

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

One quality that I possess is an ability to ask questions before making decisions. I do not blindly accept things at face value, I dig to better understand issues and to force others to think more about what they are deciding on.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

The core responsibilities of the Railroad Commission are to control the available natural resources in a manner that does not harm Texans nor the environment and that allows for long-term economic prosperity for everyone in the state, not only an elite few.

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

The biggest thing that people should be aware of is that the Railroad Commission has nothing to do with railroads. The agency has no oversight for anything dealing with rail travel.

What are your views on financial transparency and government accountability?

Financial transparency currently does not exist at the Texas Railroad Commission. The current Commissioners accept large campaign donations from parties with enforcement before the commission, and it is no surprise that these multi-billion dollar corporations are not held to any standards to protect Texans. Additionally, some of the current Commissioners get royalties from the industry they regulate, causing them to act in their own self-interest rather than in the interest of those who elected them.
We need to have strict recusal rules within the Railroad Commission to make sure Commissioners are not harming our state's resources for personal gain.

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.

Campaign website

Culbert’s campaign website stated the following:

“	KATHERINE'S TOP 3 PRIORITIES SAFETY & ENVIRONMENT As a Process Safety Engineer with over 20 years of experience, I am deeply committed to operating our industry with the highest regard for safety, protecting both our workers and communities. The Railroad Commission's mission should be to serve Texas through a concern for personal and community safety. This means strict adherence to safety protocols in every aspect of oil and gas operations, ensuring not only compliance but also a proactive approach to preventing accidents and environmental damage. CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY I believe in strict accountability for corporations in the oil and gas industry. It's essential to question and scrutinize their actions, particularly when they seek exceptions to regulations. We must ensure these multi-billion dollar corporations are considering the impact their operations will have on surrounding communities and the risks they might pose. We have over 8,000 documented orphan wells in Texas, and this number only scratches the surface. I am determined to enforce policies where companies are held accountable for safely plugging wells, not just for a few years, but indefinitely, protecting our state's groundwater, air quality, and quality of life for Texans. TRANSPARENCY & ACCOUNTIBILITY Transparency within the Texas Railroad Commission is a cornerstone of my campaign. I aim to challenge the status quo and question how decisions are made, especially when it comes to corporate influence and campaign contributions. It's vital that the Commission's actions are driven by the best interests of Texans, not by corporate donations. As your Commissioner, I will work tirelessly to ensure that every decision made by the Commission is transparent, fair, and puts the safety and well-being of our communities first.	”
—Katherine Culbert’s campaign website (2024)

Campaign finance summary

---

Note: The finance data shown here comes from the disclosures required of candidates and parties. Depending on the election or state, this may represent only a portion of all the funds spent on their behalf. Satellite spending groups may or may not have expended funds related to the candidate or politician on whose page you are reading this disclaimer. Campaign finance data from elections may be incomplete. For elections to federal offices, complete data can be found at the FEC website. Click here for more on federal campaign finance law and here for more on state campaign finance law.

---

Katherine Culbert campaign contribution history

Year	Office	Status	Contributions	Expenditures
2024*	Texas Railroad Commission	Lost general	$51,881	$44,507
Grand total			$51,881	$44,507
Sources: OpenSecrets,  Federal Elections Commission ***This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC).
* Data from this year may not be complete

See also

2024 Elections

What's on the ballot? U.S. President U.S. Congress U.S. Congress special elections State executives State legislatures State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards Election analysis hub

Government

Who represents me? U.S. Congress State executives State legislators State courts Ballot measures Municipal government School boards

Newsletters

The Daily Brew The Weekly Brew The Ballot Bulletin Checks and Balances Economy and Society Hall Pass Number of the Day Robe & Gavel

External links

Search Google News for this topic

Candidate

Texas Railroad Commission

Facebook

Twitter

Website

Instagram

YouTube

Personal

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn