Democrats Win Texas Oil Regulator Seat for First Time Since 1990

Texas voters on Tuesday elected a Democrat to the Railroad Commission, the regulator of the state's oil and gas industry, for the first time since 1990. They also elected a Democratic governor who promised to halt new data center construction. Democrats running against data centers took the governorships of Georgia and Ohio and won control of Georgia's utility regulator.

Voters cast those ballots with gasoline at its highest Election Day price on record. State Rep. Jon Rosenthal, a former oilfield engineer who calls himself a "drill baby, drill Democrat," defeated Republican Bo French for a seat on the three-member commission, which oversees oil and gas production, pipeline safety and natural gas rates. Republicans, who have held every seat since 1994, keep a 2-1 majority.