Wayne Christian retracts campaign slogan after outcry from Luke Warford

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Since 1996, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian has campaigned utilizing a slogan that made reference to his final title: “Remember to vote for the only Christian on the ballot.”

But on Friday, Christian’s campaign stated it should cease utilizing the slogan after being known as out by Democratic opponent Luke Warford, who’s Jewish. Christian stated he didn’t know Warford’s faith.

The two face off for the seat on the oil and gasoline regulatory board on Nov. 8. Early voting began this week and continues by subsequent week.

Warford took to Twitter on Thursday night, calling Christian’s comments “bigoted.” “Incumbent Wayne Christian is too focused on spouting lazy, hateful nonsense to actually do his job,” he wrote.

Travis McCormick, a spokesperson for Christian, instructed the Jewish Telegraphic Agency in an interview Friday that the slogan was nothing greater than a joke to assist voters bear in mind Christian’s title. “We definitely would not have said it if we realized our opponent was Jewish,” McCormick stated. McCormick additionally stated Christian is not going to use the tagline transferring ahead.

Christian instructed The Texas Tribune he has “nothing but love and support for the Jewish community, and strongly condemns anti-semitism of any kind,”

Christian used the identical slogan as lately as 2016, when he ran against state Rep. Gary Gates, who attends a Christian church, in response to his legislative biography.

Warford was largely unmoved by Christian’s response.

“While I’m glad Christian apologized, this moment is just another example of how out of touch he is,” Warford stated in a press release Friday. “Texans deserve elected officials who don’t just repeat the same tired lines and instead are willing to come to the table to solve the very real challenges facing our state.”

Christian served as a state consultant from 1997-2005 and from 2007-13. He was first elected as certainly one of three state railroad commissioners, who head the Texas Railroad Commission, in 2016. The group, the oldest regulatory company in Texas, oversees the oil and pure gasoline trade, pipeline transporters, coal and uranium mining, and extra. The Railroad Commission has not had authority or jurisdiction over state railroads since 2005.

Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.