In a surprising turn of events during the primary runoff held on Tuesday night, Bo French emerged victorious over Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright. This race was notable not only for its outcome but also for the distinct focus of French’s campaign, which emphasized contentious issues such as Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives and opposition to Sharia Law, rather than the traditional regulatory concerns typically associated with the Railroad Commission.
As French prepares to face Democrat state Representative Jon Rosenthal in the upcoming November general election, the stakes are high. A Democrat has not held a seat on the Railroad Commission for decades, highlighting the significance of this race in Texas politics.
“I am deeply grateful for the support of TX Republicans across our state. Our campaign focused on defending oil and gas, and putting America First—and that’s exactly what I will continue fighting for as we turn our attention to radical Democrat Jon Rosenthal,” French stated in a social media post following his victory.
The competition for this often-overlooked office turned out to be one of the closest contests of the night. French initially led among early voters, but as Election Day votes were counted, Wright began to close the gap. Ultimately, French declared victory with a narrow margin of less than 2 percentage points before midnight.
Should he win in November, French will join the three-member panel overseeing the Railroad Commission, a historic regulatory body with a century-long legacy tasked with managing Texas’s vast oil and gas industry, which accounted for nearly half of all U.S. oil production last year.
A former Tarrant County GOP chairman, French is known for holding some of the most extreme views within the Texas Republican Party, especially as the party has shifted further to the right in recent years. Earlier this year, he controversially suggested that the party should embrace Islamophobia and proposed the deportation of 100 million people, a figure that alarmingly represents nearly a third of the U.S. population, implying an intent to deport U.S. citizens.
His remarks have drawn criticism from within his own party, including calls for resignation from his county chairmanship by figures like Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, particularly after French conducted a social media poll questioning whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to America.
Despite these controversies, French’s campaign attracted significant financial backing, totaling over $3 million since February. This influx of donations from a range of donors indicates a split along ideological lines, with major oil companies and industry groups contributing heavily to Wright’s campaign, while French garnered support from prominent conservative megadonors, including the Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice, which invested approximately one million dollars in his campaign—over 60% of his financial resources.
At the beginning of the race, French claimed that both the Railroad Commission and Wright were allowing foreign influences—specifically from China and Islam—to dominate Texas’s oil fields. He criticized the commission for what he labeled rampant diversity efforts, framing his opposition in stark terms.
Throughout his campaign, he accused Wright of permitting “Sharia law” to infiltrate the agency, even branding him “Jihadi Jim” in a bid to rally support among voters who share similar views.
The upcoming six-year term for the Railroad Commission coincides with a period of considerable uncertainty for the Texas oil and gas industry. With oil prices fluctuating dramatically and thousands of workers facing layoffs, the new commissioner will be tasked with addressing pressing regulatory challenges, including growing concerns about industry wastewater management, which poses potential environmental risks. The commissioners will also oversee a budget of $593 million, the highest allocation in recent years, signifying the critical nature of their responsibilities.
