On Sunday, Bo French, the Republican candidate for Texas Railroad Commissioner, stirred controversy by posting a series of inflammatory social media messages targeting students of color who were celebrating at a University of Texas football game. His remarks have prompted significant backlash within his party just weeks ahead of the November election.
The day after the Texas Longhorns secured an impressive comeback victory against Ohio State, French shared an image of South Asian students in burnt orange attire cheering from the stands. The former chair of the Tarrant County GOP has previously advocated for the deportation of 100 million individuals, a figure that would encompass U.S. citizens. He characterized the scene as indicative of “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners.”
In another post, French shared a photo of the students, stating, “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
Commenters on his posts criticized his use of the term “foreigners” to describe students based solely on their skin color, without any regard for their citizenship status. The University of Texas at Austin has not responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.
U.S. Senator John Cornyn, who recently lost a primary election to Attorney General Ken Paxton, quickly condemned French’s comments and urged other Republicans to do the same. “This is the Republican nominee for statewide office,” Cornyn 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.”
State Representative Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat from Houston who is running against French, expressed gratitude for Cornyn’s response, emphasizing the significance of holding leaders accountable. The railroad commissioners play a crucial role in regulating Texas’s oil and gas industry.
In the wake of Cornyn’s remarks, several Texas Republicans joined the chorus of criticism against French, while others voiced their support for him. This discourse unfolds amid increasing tensions surrounding immigration, particularly concerning the state’s growing Indian population and discussions around the H-1B visa program, which is predominantly utilized by skilled Indian workers.
Earlier this year, Governor Greg Abbott instructed state agencies and public universities to halt the processing of new H-1B visas. Some Texas Republican Congress members have also called for a suspension of all legal immigration.
When questioned about French’s comments, Abbott refrained from denouncing them or demanding their removal. Instead, he emphasized a narrative of unity under the “Texas brand,” while highlighting the state’s stringent immigration laws. “A selective picture of Longhorn fans celebrating our biggest home victory actually shows a way that Texans unite. We all support our college football teams,” Abbott stated. “That doesn’t mean that Texas cannot also lead in having the toughest immigration laws of any state in America and freezing H1B visas at our universities.”
GOP Backlash
Cornyn’s critique led to a wave of denunciations directed at French from various Texas Republican representatives.
“You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity — this post has crossed the line,” stated House Speaker Dustin Burrows.
Other Republicans adopted an even harsher stance. Former House Speaker Dade Phelan deemed French “unfit for office,” while State Representative Jared Patterson asserted that Texans deserve Railroad Commissioners who prioritize their duties over fostering racial division. State Representative Drew Darby lamented that he has “never seen conduct so unbecoming of a Railroad Commissioner or candidate in that time,” urging French to apologize.
Darby’s call for an apology was accompanied by a warning about the broad discretion given to the Railroad Commission by the Texas Legislature, remarking, “If Mr. French wants to regulate immigration policy, he should have run for Congress.”
In stark contrast, French has intensified his rhetoric since the criticism, labeling Cornyn a “RINO” or “Republican in name only,” and accusing him of prioritizing foreign nationals over American citizens. “He and the other America Last losers are mad that Texas Republicans are starting to put America First,” French said in a post. His campaign has not responded to requests for comment.
Notably, some Texas Republicans, including former Texas GOP chair Matt Rinaldi and State Representative Andy Hopper, have come to French’s defense, attacking Cornyn instead. Hopper referred to the senator as a “smug globalist” who lost his primary election by 28 points.
On the Democratic front, the Texas Democratic Party has called on Abbott to condemn French’s remarks. State Representative Gina Hinojosa, a Democrat challenging Abbott, labeled French as “unfit to serve.” Meanwhile, State Representative James Talarico, another Democrat running against Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat, referenced Cornyn’s comments and urged Paxton to respond. “Will you condemn this blatant racism or will you cower to extremists?” Talarico asked in a post directed at Paxton.
In response, Paxton stated that he condemns “racism in all of its forms,” yet did not directly address French’s posts, opting instead to critique Talarico. Paxton has previously endorsed French’s campaign, asserting that he would be “a great Railroad Commissioner.”
Previous Controversies
This incident is not the first instance of Texas Republican officials criticizing French for his racially charged remarks, raising questions about whether such criticisms will hinder his campaign for statewide office.
Last year, several state leaders, including Lt. Governor Dan Patrick, called for French to resign from his position as the Tarrant County chair after he conducted a social media poll questioning whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to America. Patrick subsequently endorsed French’s opponent in the Republican primary for the Texas Railroad Commissioner race earlier this year but reportedly reversed his stance after French won the primary runoff.
Despite previously cautioning that French “doesn’t know anything about oil and gas” and that he could “wreck the miracle” of Texas’s oil and gas production, Abbott has shown support for French in the statewide race. Patrick’s office has yet to respond to inquiries regarding whether he will denounce French’s recent comments, and Cornyn’s office has not addressed questions about whether he will support Rosenthal in the Texas Railroad Commissioner election.
French also enjoys backing from industry leaders, recently announcing an endorsement from the Texas Oil & Gas Association PAC. In response, Rosenthal expressed disappointment that the trade association, which represents nearly all of Texas’s crude oil and natural gas producers, would endorse a “wholly unqualified” nominee rather than a “true oil and gas candidate.” He has highlighted his experience as an oil field mechanical engineer as a key aspect of his campaign, while French has claimed a decade of experience as an energy trader and noted that his family operates an oil business in Midland.
In a post on Sunday, Rosenthal questioned the association’s endorsement in light of French’s remarks, asking, “Attacking young Texans, some of whom will be O&G engineers? How do your members feel about this?” The TXOGA PAC has not yet responded to this inquiry.
