Bo French ousts Railroad Commissioner in GOP primary runoff
The Texas Tribune • • nation
Key Points:
- Bo French won the Republican primary runoff against incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, focusing his campaign on opposing DEI initiatives and alleging the influence of Sharia Law within the commission.
- French will face Democrat Jon Rosenthal in the November general election, with a Democrat not having held a railroad commission seat in decades.
- The race drew significant funding, surpassing $3 million, with French backed by conservative megadonors and Wright supported by big oil companies and prominent Texas Republicans including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and Gov. Greg Abbott.
- French has a controversial reputation, promoting extreme views including Islamophobia and making offensive social media posts, which led to criticism even from within his own party.
- The Texas Railroad Commission, a powerful regulatory body overseeing the state's oil and gas industry, plays a critical role in an enterprise responsible for nearly half of U.S. oil production.