TEXAS — A Democrat is running for a spot on the Texas Railroad Commission with a chief focus on the power grid failure.

Former Texas Democratic Party staffer Luke Warford is hoping to unseat Republican incumbent Wayne Christian. Warford's done consulting in the private sector for energy companies and says he'll bring a fresh perspective to the commission.

He faces an uphill battle. The last Democrat to run for a spot on the commission lost by nine percentage points, despite getting national attention and money. But Warford says the stakes are higher now.

“I think the grid failure in February just totally changes the calculus and the opportunity for this race,” he said in an interview on Capital Tonight. “Whether you’re a Republican or a Democrat you were cold in February this past year and you’re probably pretty mad the grid failed. How is it in the energy capital of the world when we can’t keep the lights on? And we’re going into another winter and I’m not super confident that the situation has changed significantly. I think Texans are going to remember what happened last February. I think they’re gonna have more stressful experiences this winter and I think that’s going to affect how they vote next November.”

Warford says he would push enforcing existing rules, rather than allowing what he calls loopholes for natural gas suppliers. The Texas Railroad Commission, which oversees the oil and gas industry, is allowing those operators to opt out of winterization efforts.

“I think step one is just enforcing the existing rules and the existing regulations. When I look at what they’re saying now and they’re talking about the same type of weatherization rules with the same type of loopholes that existed before, I’m not confident about what’s going to happen this winter or winters to come if we keep the same commissioners in power,” he said.

Warford says he sees the state remaining dependent on oil and gas, but he’d also push renewables.  

“I think oil and gas is still going to be the quarterback of our football team, but you don’t have a football team of 11 quarterbacks,” he said. “We want to be leaders in renewable energy. We want to be leaders in geothermal, wind and solar and so I think we need a commissioner who can have that longer term vision.”

No other credible Democratic candidates have emerged to challenge Christian. He is facing a GOP primary challenge from Dwayne Tipton, a longtime oil and gas worker from Killeen.

The Railroad Commission has three members. The other two are not up for reelection and are both Republicans.

Click the video link above to watch our full interview with Warford.