Does the Texas Railroad Commission have anything to do with railroads? Here’s what state agencies on the March ballot do.

Texans will see candidates for 18 statewide positions on the March primary ballot, including one state railroad commissioner, the state land commissioner and the state agriculture commissioner.

Despite its name, the Railroad Commission of Texas does not govern the state’s railroads. So what do railroad commissioners and the leaders of other Texas agencies do?

Community Impact compiled information about various state agencies to help inform Texans before they head to the polls for the March primary elections. Early voting runs from Feb. 17-27, and primary election day is March 3.

More information about Texas’ primary election process is available here. For more details about the contested races on local ballots and over 100 Q&As with candidates, visit communityimpact.com/voter-guide.

What you need to know

The railroad commission regulates Texas’ oil and gas industry, according to its website, while the state’s railroads are under the control of the Texas Department of Transportation and the federal government.

The commission was established in 1891 to “prevent discrimination in railroad charges and establish reasonable tariffs,” its website states. However, oversight of railroads was later transferred to other agencies.

The RRC has primary regulatory authority over Texas’:

Oil and natural gas industryPipeline transportersNatural gas and hazardous liquid pipeline industryNatural gas utilities and infrastructureLiquefied petroleum gas industryCoal and uranium surface miningFive Republican candidates are running for a six-year term on the Railroad Commission of Texas in the March 3 primary election. In November, the winner of the Republican primary will face Democrat Jon Rosenthal, who is running uncontested in the Democratic primary.

More information and a Q&A with the Republican primary candidates for railroad commissioner is available here.

More details

Texans will also see candidates for state land commissioner on the March primary ballot. The General Land Office manages 13 million acres of state lands and is Texas’ oldest state agency, according to its website.

The land commissioner’s duties include:

Allocating disaster recovery fundsOverseeing several veterans programsPreserving state landmarks, such as the AlamoLeasing state lands to generate revenue for Texas’ Permanent School FundThe Permanent School Fund was established in 1845 and the GLO set aside a portion of state lands to generate revenue for the fund in 1876. There was over $60 billion in the fund as of September, per its website, and over $2.4 billion is distributed to Texas public schools each year.

Two Democrats are running for land commissioner this March. Republican incumbent Dawn Buckingham is running uncontested in the Republican primary, and she will face the winning Democratic candidate in the November midterm election.

More information and a Q&A with the Democratic primary candidates for land commissioner is available here.

What else?

Texans will also elect the state agriculture commissioner this year. The commissioner has a variety of roles other than regulating the state’s agricultural industry.

Some of the Texas Department of Agriculture’s responsibilities include:

Administering federal nutrition programs and grantsFacilitating trade of agricultural productsProtecting crops from pests and diseasesProviding financial assistance to farmers and rural communitiesManaging consumer protection programsThe TDA administers the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program, both of which use federal funds to provide free and reduced-price meals to K-12 students across Texas. The agency also runs an emergency food assistance program, a food program for low-income seniors and various programs promoting healthy eating, according to its website.

Two Republican candidates are running for agriculture commissioner in the March primary. In November, the Republican nominee will face Democrat Clayton Tucker, who is running uncontested in the Democratic primary.

More information and a Q&A with the Republican primary candidates for agriculture commissioner is available here.

Also of note

Other state-level seats on the ballot include:

U.S. senator: Each state has two U.S. senators, who serve six-year terms.

Texas governor: The governor is Texas’ top elected official.Texas lieutenant governor: As second-in-command to the governor, the lieutenant governor leads the Texas Senate and can exercise the powers of the governor if the governor dies, resigns, is removed from office or is absent from the state, according to the Texas State Historical Association.Texas attorney general: The attorney general serves as the state’s top lawyer, representing the state in court and pursuing litigation on behalf of the state. The agency also enforces child support orders, runs the state’s crime victims compensation program and enforces open government laws.Texas comptroller: As the state’s chief financial officer, the comptroller is tasked with overseeing government spending, projecting Texas’ biennial budget for state legislators, reporting on statewide economic issues, and managing the state treasury and unclaimed property programs. The agency also manages Texas’ broadband development and education savings account programs.