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In a surprising turn of events, Bo French, the Republican candidate for a position on the Texas Railroad Commission, has publicly denied agreeing to participate in a debate against his opponent, state Rep. Jon Rosenthal. This assertion contradicts claims made by the Dallas Press Club, which reported that both candidates had settled on a debate date for October 22.
“They’re lying,” French stated in a text message to The Texas Tribune. He emphasized that his campaign never communicated with Rosenthal’s team and described the Press Club’s claims as fabrications. French further argued that if any conversation had taken place, it would be documented in the Press Club’s call logs, which he asserts do not exist.
When pressed on why he did not correct the record sooner, French replied, “Why should I, when (Rosenthal’s) own lies should be enough?” This back-and-forth highlights the contentious nature of their political rivalry.
The Dallas Press Club has maintained that they engaged both candidates to finalize the debate details, although they could not provide written confirmation of their discussions. Carol Donovan, the organizer for the debates, noted that she had personal notes indicating that both candidates were available for the proposed date. However, she expressed frustration that French’s campaign has not responded to follow-up attempts to confirm the debate.
In lieu of a traditional debate, the Press Club has arranged a podcast recording featuring Rosenthal, moderated by Jeff Crilley, the president and CEO of Real News Public Relations. Despite French’s refusal to engage in a debate, Rosenthal has confirmed his attendance at the Dallas event, which represents the only public forum for candidates running for statewide office in Texas.
The election for the Texas Railroad Commission is drawing national attention, particularly due to French’s controversial background as a conservative operative with a history of inflammatory remarks. Notably, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick previously requested that French resign from his position as head of the Tarrant County GOP after he conducted a poll questioning whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to America. Additionally, French attracted widespread criticism for a racist comment directed at a group of students during a University of Texas at Austin Longhorns game.
High-ranking Republicans have expressed their reluctance to support French in the upcoming election. Karl Rove, a former adviser to President George W. Bush, went as far as to declare that he would break a 30-year streak of supporting only Republican candidates to vote for Rosenthal. Similarly, outgoing U.S. Senator John Cornyn has stated he would not support French, although he has not disclosed whether he would back Rosenthal.
