Victor G. Carrillo
Encyclopedia
Victor G. Carrillo is the chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission
, a petroleum
, natural gas
, and pipeline
regulatory body on which he has served since his initial appointment in February 2003 by Governor
Rick Perry
. Having won a full six-year term of his own in the 2004 general election
, Carrillo was a candidate for renomination in the statewide Republican
primary election
on March 2, 2010, but he was handily defeated by newcomer David J. Porter
, an accountant from
Giddings
in Lee County, and formerly of Midland
. Porter polled 732,892 votes (60.7 percent) to Carrillo's 474,096 (39.3 percent). In the November 2, 2010, general election
, Porter faced the Democrat
Jeff Weems, an oil-and-gas lawyer from Houston
, Texas
, who received 481,902 votes without an opponent in his party primary. Porter also won the general election.
Prior to his appointment to the regulatory panel, Carrillo, a native of Abilene
, Texas, had served as county judge of Taylor County
, a position to which he was initially appointed. He was elected to a full four-year term as county judge in the 2002 general election but served fewer than two months, having resigned to accept the Railroad Commission seat vacated by Tony Garza
of Brownsville
, a former county judge of Cameron County
who resigned with two years left in his term to accept appointment from U.S. President George W. Bush
to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
.
Carrillo did not win the March 2004 Republican primary outright but faced a runoff election against the politically unknown Robert Butler on April 13 to secure the required majority. Carrillo polled 140,471 votes (62.8 percent) to Butler’s 83,298 (37.2 percent). Carrillo, running on a Republican ticket that had 100 percent success in races for statewide offices, then easily defeated the Democrat choice, Bob Scarborough. Carrillo polled 3,891,482 ballots (55.5 percent) to Scarborough’s 2,872,717 (40.9 percent). Libertarian
Anthony Garcia held the remaining 252,497 votes (3.6 percent). Carrillo outpolled both of his opponents in 2004 in Taylor County by a margin of some three-to-one.
Carrillo received his Bachelor of Science
degree in geology
from Hardin-Simmons University
, a Baptist
institution in Abilene. He then procured a Master of Science
from Baylor University
in Waco
. From 1988-1994, Carrillo was a petroleum geophysicist for Amoco
. He attended law school at night and in 1994 procured his Juris Doctor
degree from the University of Houston Law Center
. From 1994-1996, he was an attorney for the Texas General Land Office
under the Democratic commissioner Garry Mauro
.
Having returned to Abilene, he taught political science
for a time at Hardin-Simmons and served on the city council and as an assistant city attorney while maintaining a law practice. He and his wife, Joy M. Carrillo, have three daughters, Laura, Christina Andrea, and Grace, all home-schooled. They attended Abilene Bible Church but relocated to Austin
, when he joined the Railroad Commission.
While in Abilene, Carrillo was a member of the Chamber of Commerce
, the Abilene Hispanic Leadership Council, Keep Abilene Beautiful, the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army
, and the board of advisors of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy, published by the University of Texas at Austin
School of Law.
On his website, Carrillo uses the slogan "Promoting Texas Energy for All Texans", adding: "Texas is our nation’s premier energy producing state and the Texas energy sector plays a critical role in ensuring domestic energy security. At this critical stage in our nation’s energy security future, we must responsibly drill more in our own backyard to minimize foreign oil and gas imports."
Carrillo’s two colleagues on the Railroad Commission, fellow Republicans Michael L. Williams
(elected 2008) and Elizabeth Ames Jones
(elected 2006), are both expected to seek the U.S. Senate seat that Hutchison decided to vacate early in order to run for the gubernatorial nomination.
Railroad Commission of Texas
The Railroad Commission of Texas is the state agency that regulates the oil and gas industry, gas utilities, pipeline safety, safety in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, and surface coal and uranium mining .Established by the Texas Legislature in 1891, it is the state's oldest regulatory...
, a petroleum
Petroleum
Petroleum or crude oil is a naturally occurring, flammable liquid consisting of a complex mixture of hydrocarbons of various molecular weights and other liquid organic compounds, that are found in geologic formations beneath the Earth's surface. Petroleum is recovered mostly through oil drilling...
, natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
, and pipeline
Pipeline transport
Pipeline transport is the transportation of goods through a pipe. Most commonly, liquids and gases are sent, but pneumatic tubes that transport solid capsules using compressed air are also used....
regulatory body on which he has served since his initial appointment in February 2003 by Governor
Governor of Texas
The governor of Texas is the head of the executive branch of Texas's government and the commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The governor has the power to either approve or veto bills passed by the Texas Legislature, and to convene the legislature...
Rick Perry
Rick Perry
James Richard "Rick" Perry is the 47th and current Governor of Texas. A Republican, Perry was elected Lieutenant Governor of Texas in 1998 and assumed the governorship in December 2000 when then-governor George W. Bush resigned to become President of the United States. Perry was elected to full...
. Having won a full six-year term of his own in the 2004 general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Carrillo was a candidate for renomination in the statewide Republican
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
primary election
Primary election
A primary election is an election in which party members or voters select candidates for a subsequent election. Primary elections are one means by which a political party nominates candidates for the next general election....
on March 2, 2010, but he was handily defeated by newcomer David J. Porter
David J. Porter
David Jerome Porter , a Certified Public Accountant, is a member of the Texas Railroad Commission. Formerly in a private CPA practice in Midland in Midland County, Porter has since relocated to Giddings in Lee County, Texas.-Background:...
, an accountant from
Giddings
Giddings, Texas
Giddings is the county seat of Lee County, Texas, United States situated on the intersection of U.S. Highways 77 and 290, east of Austin. Its population was 5,105 at the 2000 census. The city's motto is "Giddings Texas: Experience Hometown Hospitality"....
in Lee County, and formerly of Midland
Midland, Texas
Midland is a city in and the county seat of Midland County, Texas, United States, on the Southern Plains of the state's western area. A small portion of the city extends into Martin County. As of 2010, the population of Midland was 111,147. It is the principal city of the Midland, Texas...
. Porter polled 732,892 votes (60.7 percent) to Carrillo's 474,096 (39.3 percent). In the November 2, 2010, general election
General election
In a parliamentary political system, a general election is an election in which all or most members of a given political body are chosen. The term is usually used to refer to elections held for a nation's primary legislative body, as distinguished from by-elections and local elections.The term...
, Porter faced the Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Jeff Weems, an oil-and-gas lawyer from Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, who received 481,902 votes without an opponent in his party primary. Porter also won the general election.
Prior to his appointment to the regulatory panel, Carrillo, a native of Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
, Texas, had served as county judge of Taylor County
Taylor County, Texas
As of the census of 2000, there were 126,555 people, 47,274 households, and 32,524 families residing in the county. The population density was 138 people per square mile . There were 52,056 housing units at an average density of 57 per square mile...
, a position to which he was initially appointed. He was elected to a full four-year term as county judge in the 2002 general election but served fewer than two months, having resigned to accept the Railroad Commission seat vacated by Tony Garza
Tony Garza
Antonio Oscar "Tony" Garza, Jr. , an American lawyer and former county judge in Texas, was the United States Ambassador to Mexico from 2002 to 2009.-Early life and education:...
of Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, a former county judge of Cameron County
Cameron County, Texas
Cameron County is the southernmost county located in the U.S. state of Texas. In 2010, its population was 406,220. Its county seat is Brownsville. Cameron was founded in 1848...
who resigned with two years left in his term to accept appointment from U.S. President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
to be U.S. Ambassador to Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Carrillo did not win the March 2004 Republican primary outright but faced a runoff election against the politically unknown Robert Butler on April 13 to secure the required majority. Carrillo polled 140,471 votes (62.8 percent) to Butler’s 83,298 (37.2 percent). Carrillo, running on a Republican ticket that had 100 percent success in races for statewide offices, then easily defeated the Democrat choice, Bob Scarborough. Carrillo polled 3,891,482 ballots (55.5 percent) to Scarborough’s 2,872,717 (40.9 percent). Libertarian
Libertarian Party (United States)
The Libertarian Party is the third largest and fastest growing political party in the United States. The political platform of the Libertarian Party reflects its brand of libertarianism, favoring minimally regulated, laissez-faire markets, strong civil liberties, minimally regulated migration...
Anthony Garcia held the remaining 252,497 votes (3.6 percent). Carrillo outpolled both of his opponents in 2004 in Taylor County by a margin of some three-to-one.
Carrillo received his Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree in geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
from Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin-Simmons University
Hardin–Simmons University is a private Baptist university located in Abilene, Texas, United States.-History:Hardin–Simmons University was founded as Abilene Baptist College in 1891 by the Sweetwater Baptist Association and a group of cattlemen and pastors who sought to bring Christian higher...
, a Baptist
Baptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
institution in Abilene. He then procured a Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
from Baylor University
Baylor University
Baylor University is a private, Christian university located in Waco, Texas. Founded in 1845, Baylor is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.-History:...
in Waco
Waco, Texas
Waco is a city in and the county seat of McLennan County, Texas. Situated along the Brazos River and on the I-35 corridor, halfway between Dallas and Austin, it is the economic, cultural, and academic center of the 'Heart of Texas' region....
. From 1988-1994, Carrillo was a petroleum geophysicist for Amoco
Amoco
Amoco Corporation, originally Standard Oil Company , was a global chemical and oil company, founded in 1889 around a refinery located in Whiting, Indiana, United States....
. He attended law school at night and in 1994 procured his Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor
Juris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
degree from the University of Houston Law Center
University of Houston Law Center
The University of Houston Law Center is a law school located in Houston, Texas. It is accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools. Founded in 1947, the Law Center is one of 12 academic colleges of the University of Houston...
. From 1994-1996, he was an attorney for the Texas General Land Office
Texas General Land Office
.The Texas General Land Office is a state agency of Texas. It manages state-controlled lands and mineral rights properties. The agency originally collected and kept records regarding lands controlled by the state. The agency has its headquarters in the Stephen F. Austin State Office Building in...
under the Democratic commissioner Garry Mauro
Garry Mauro
Garry Mauro is an American Democratic Party politician from Texas, most noted for being the four-term commissioner of the Texas General Land Office from 1983 to 1999 during the administrations of Governors Mark White, Bill Clements, Ann Richards, and George W...
.
Having returned to Abilene, he taught political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
for a time at Hardin-Simmons and served on the city council and as an assistant city attorney while maintaining a law practice. He and his wife, Joy M. Carrillo, have three daughters, Laura, Christina Andrea, and Grace, all home-schooled. They attended Abilene Bible Church but relocated to Austin
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, when he joined the Railroad Commission.
While in Abilene, Carrillo was a member of the Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, the Abilene Hispanic Leadership Council, Keep Abilene Beautiful, the Redeemer Presbyterian Church, the Salvation Army
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army is a Protestant Christian church known for its thrift stores and charity work. It is an international movement that currently works in over a hundred countries....
, and the board of advisors of the Texas Journal of Oil, Gas, and Energy, published by the University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
School of Law.
On his website, Carrillo uses the slogan "Promoting Texas Energy for All Texans", adding: "Texas is our nation’s premier energy producing state and the Texas energy sector plays a critical role in ensuring domestic energy security. At this critical stage in our nation’s energy security future, we must responsibly drill more in our own backyard to minimize foreign oil and gas imports."
Carrillo’s two colleagues on the Railroad Commission, fellow Republicans Michael L. Williams
Michael L. Williams
Michael Lawrence Williams is a former member of the elected Texas Railroad Commission, a regulatory body over, not railroads, but the oil and natural gas industries. Williams is the first African American to hold a statewide elected executive office in Texas history. He was appointed to the...
(elected 2008) and Elizabeth Ames Jones
Elizabeth Ames Jones
Elizabeth Ames Jones is one of the three members of the elected Texas Railroad Commission, a regulatory body that oversees the oil and natural gas industries in Texas — as opposed to railroads, as its name suggests...
(elected 2006), are both expected to seek the U.S. Senate seat that Hutchison decided to vacate early in order to run for the gubernatorial nomination.