Wayne Christian retracts “only Christian on the ballot” slogan after outcry from Jewish opponent Luke Warford

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Since 1996, Texas Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian has campaigned utilizing a slogan that made reference to his final identify: “Keep in mind to vote for the one Christian on the poll.”

However on Friday, Christian’s marketing campaign stated it would 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 2 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 simply too targeted on spouting lazy, hateful nonsense to really do his job,” he wrote.

Travis McCormick, a spokesperson for Christian, informed the Jewish Telegraphic Company in an interview Friday that the slogan was nothing greater than a joke to assist voters keep in mind Christian’s identify. “We positively wouldn’t have stated it if we realized our opponent was Jewish,” McCormick stated. McCormick additionally stated Christian is not going to use the tagline transferring ahead.

Christian informed The Texas Tribune he has “nothing however love and help for the Jewish group, and strongly condemns anti-semitism of any sort,”

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

Warford was largely unmoved by Christian’s response.

“Whereas I’m glad Christian apologized, this second is simply one other instance of how out of contact he’s,” Warford stated in a press release Friday. “Texans deserve elected officers who don’t simply repeat the identical drained strains and as a substitute are keen to return to the desk to unravel the very actual challenges dealing with our state.”

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

Patrick Svitek contributed to this report.