Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, is currently facing significant criticism from within his own party following his contentious comments regarding a photo of University of Texas (UT) students celebrating a football victory. French’s remarks suggest that the image reflects a troubling trend of Americans being “displaced by foreigners.” This has led to strong rebukes from prominent Republican figures, including U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who labeled the statements as “intolerance and racism.” Governor Greg Abbott also distanced himself from French’s interpretation, emphasizing a message of unity among Texans.
The controversy erupted after French shared a celebratory image of Longhorn fans reveling in Texas’ narrow 24-23 win over Ohio State. In his post, he expressed disbelief at claims that this year’s UT graduation demographics resembled the crowd depicted in the photo, insinuating that the situation is more severe than previously recognized. He further claimed that social media is revealing how many Americans have been displaced, stating that the issue is “far worse than any of us could imagine.”
It is important to note that Texas state law mandates that at least 90% of UT Austin’s incoming freshmen be residents of Texas. International students make up only about 4% of the recent freshman class, competing for the approximately 10% of spots available for non-residents.
The backlash from fellow Republicans has been swift. Senator Cornyn questioned whether other GOP leaders would denounce French’s comments, warning that failing to address such rhetoric could lead to the self-destruction of the party. “This is the Republican nominee for statewide office,” he remarked. “Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized? This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad.”
Governor Abbott also weighed in, clarifying that French’s reading of the photograph does not align with his views. “That is not my message,” Abbott stated, highlighting that the image of fans celebrating represents a moment of unity among Texans. He asserted that Texans come together under the banner of their state, while also supporting stringent immigration policies, including a freeze on H-1B visas at universities.
Despite the criticism, French has stood firm, refusing to retract his statements. He accused Cornyn and other Republicans of permitting Texas institutions to be “overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals.” French declared, “John Cornyn says we should accept decline. The voters I talk to want to return our institutions to serving the interests of our citizens.”
As the November general election approaches, French is gearing up for a competitive race. He won the Republican primary runoff for the railroad commissioner position back in May and is set to face Democratic state Representative Jon Rosenthal on November 3. French, who previously served as the Tarrant County Republican Party chairman, has a history of controversial statements regarding immigration and other topics.
His campaign focuses primarily on energy policy and the protection of Texas’ oil and gas industry. The Texas Railroad Commission, a three-member body, oversees the state’s oil and gas sectors, including drilling operations, pipeline safety, and the management of oil-field waste. Notably, a Democrat has not held a seat on the commission for decades.
