The day after the four-term Houston lawmaker launched his statewide bid, his former chief of staff, Odus Evbagharu, announced he was running to succeed his former boss in the Texas House.

James "Jim" Wright defeated incumbent Railroad Commissioner Ryan Sitton in the Republican Primary. Republican Jim Wright had a solid lead over Democrat Chrysta Castañeda early Wednesday morning in the race for Texas Railroad Commissioner, according to unofficial results from Decision Desk HQ. The Railroad Commission of Texas regulates the state's massive oil and gas industry, and its elected, three-member board has been entirely Republican for at least 25 years. Wright, who owns an oilfield waste services company, shockingly defeated the incumbent railroad commissioner, Ryan Sitton, in the March primary. Sitton, elected in 2014, raised significantly more money and had the support of top state leaders including Gov.