There's a big election coming up in Texas. It’s about much more than who will run the Railroad Commission (RRC). It’s about whether the government will finally listen to the hardest working people in our state.

It’s time for a blue-collar rebellion. And this election is the way to make it happen.

If I win the Republican primary on March 3, it will mark a fundamental change in Texas politics. A new era.

Blue-collar workers like me, and many of you, are widely ignored by the government. Our needs don’t factor into what so many leaders focus on. And we end up bearing the brunt of the damage they cause.

Sure, they pay us lip service. Or, to put it a more Texas way, they’re all hat, no cattle. On the campaign trail they say that they’ll work for us, that they’ll listen to us, that they’ll fix our problems. But then they get into office and, most of the time, they don’t pull through.

That's how our state ended up with some of the most dangerous oil fields on Earth, polluting our water and ruining livelihoods.

In recent years, lots of attention has been paid to which way blue-collar voters cast ballots in elections. But a lot less attention is given to this: We’re less likely to vote at all. Because we know neither party or candidate is going to do much for us. (These figures generally go by whether people have college degrees, and the latest census data shows the turnout numbers. But there are also blue-collar workers like me who do have college degrees.)

We also rarely have candidates like us to vote for. For example, only 1.6% of state lawmakers are “working class,” compared to 50% of the workforce, Project Censored reports.

All this helps explain why I’m running for the Railroad Commission. If you show up and support me, you’ll be doing much more than helping a candidate. You’ll be delivering a voice for all these working people into the halls of power.

I’m a fourth-generation oil worker with 35 years of experience. Even while I went to college at Stephen F. Austin State University, I was driving vacuum trucks hauling saltwater at night.

Later, I traveled the world to work in oil fields. A combination of sweat, skills, and tenacity led me to become a leader. I achieved top positions overseeing global operations, managing well integrity, directing critical interventions and more.

At every stage, I looked out for the workers -- mentoring, training, and providing opportunities. I demanded the highest standards of safety and efficiency. I always saw how companies and the public sector deliver much better results when they listen to their people.

In recent years, I’ve traveled across Texas to fight the scourge of orphaned oil wells. I’ve been helping people who suffer the most from these unplugged wells and the massive pools of toxicity resulting from the state’s mismanagement.

I’ve demanded accountability from big corporations and the government. Meanwhile, the members of the RRC have been turning a blind eye because they profit off of those failures.

There's a good chance that you’re like me. You know what a pain in the ass it is to try to run for office, and how it can seem impossible when you’re already putting in an exhausting effort in your job each day.

I’m not running out of any personal need to feel important or boost my ego or any of that BS. I’m running because these problems are real, and they’ve got to be fixed. To fight for the millions of us, across this state, who are paying the steepest price for the commission’s ineptitude.

If you agree that this matters, please mark your calendar. Vote early, starting February 17. Find your voting locations through this website or your county website. When locations are announced, I’ll also post them at my website, Hawk4Texas.com.

And, though I hate saying this, if you’re in a position to help, I invite you to donate to the campaign here. That's just how these things work. Unlike my competitors, I’m not beholden to big business. I’m fighting for Texans -- especially all the people who have been unheard.

If I win, I promise you: I will deliver the blue collar rebellion.