On March 2, 2016, Burnam ran last with 269,853 votes (24.8 percent) in a three-candidate field in the Democratic primary election for the seat on the Texas Railroad Commission being vacated by the Republican David J. Porter.
The two remaining Democratic candidates, Cody Garrett, who polled 382,647 votes (35.2 percent), and Grady Yarbrough, with 434,137 votes (40 percent), met in the May 24 runoff election to choose the party nominee for the position.
[1] Burnam holds a bachelor's degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin.
He holds two master's degree, one from UT-Austin and the second in municipal and regional planning from the University of Texas at Arlington.
[2] In 2007 when TX House of Representative Debbie Riddle authored HB1034 to amend the TX state pledge of allegiance to the State flag by adding the words "one state under God" in order to acknowledge our "Judeo-Christian heritage", Burnam challenged her, noting the many denominations present in Texas that do not align with that heritage.