Bo French has declared victory in the Texas Railroad Commission runoff election, narrowly leading incumbent Wayne Wright. The race centered on contrasting Wright's industry experience with French's Trump-aligned ideology and controversial policy proposals, including expanding land sale restrictions to Muslim-majority countries and ending DEI practices. Governor Greg Abbott criticized French's lack of knowledge about oil and gas.
The Texas Railroad Commission , despite its name, does not regulate railroads but instead oversees the energy industry in Texas. It is one of the state's most powerful agencies, responsible for regulating all phases of oil and gas production, pipeline safety, and natural gas rates.
The commission consists of three members serving staggered six-year terms. In a recent runoff election, incumbent Commissioner Wayne Wright faced challenger Bo French. Wright, a career oil field worker first elected in 2020, emphasized his experience and commitment to environmental and safety standards while promoting industry innovation and job creation. He received endorsements from major oil and gas companies like Chevron and Exxon Mobil, as well as from Governor Greg Abbott, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, and other state Republican leaders.
French, a former Tarrant County Republican Party chairman and owner of a family oil business, lacked regulatory experience but campaigned on staunch support for President Donald Trump's agenda and controversial policy proposals beyond energy. He promised to expand a law banning land sales to non-citizens from adversarial nations to include Muslim-majority countries, claiming Islam poses an "existential threat" to Texas.
French also vowed to end DEI practices at the commission, eliminate Chinese influence in the Texas oil industry, create a pro-family and anti-abortion program for operators, and establish a direct partnership with Israel. Governor Abbott criticized French, stating he "doesn't know anything about oil and gas" and that his agenda would harm the state's oil and gas production.
As of Wednesday morning with nearly all votes counted, French led the runoff with 50.6% to Wright's 49.4%, and French declared victory, framing his win as a defense of oil and gas and an "America First" approach. The race highlighted a divide between traditional industry expertise and ideologically driven campaigning within Texas Republican politics
Texas Railroad Commission Bo French Wayne Wright Oil And Gas Regulation Runoff Election Greg Abbott DEI Land Sales Ban Trump Agenda
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