Texas railroad commission race: Bo French, Republican who sparked anti-India row, defeated

Bo French lost to Jon Rosenthal

Democrat Jon Rosenthal has defeated Republican Bo French in the race for the Texas Railroad Commission, marking a historic win for his party and ending more than three decades of Republican control over the powerful oil and gas regulator.Rosenthal will be the first Democrat on the commission since 1990.The contest drew national attention after French, a former Tarrant County Republican Party chairman, sparked a controversy over a social media post targeting South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin. In September, he shared a photograph of students cheering at a football game and wrote: “I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined. “French’s remarks prompted criticism from students, alumni and several Republicans. He also faced accusations of portraying Asian American students as foreigners without knowing their citizenship or residency status. Some of the students in the photograph were of Indian origin.The response on campus became a separate point of debate. University of Texas President Jim Davis issued a statement saying all students were Longhorns, but did not directly name French or condemn his remarks. The university subsequently faced pressure from students and alumni to respond more firmly. Three Indian-origin computer science professors also wrote to students expressing support.French stood by his comments and defended them in media interviews. The controversy pushed an otherwise low-profile race into the national spotlight, with Rosenthal repeatedly having to address his opponent’s remarks during the campaign.Rosenthal, a Houston-area state representative and former oilfield engineer, campaigned on his experience in the energy sector and promised stronger oversight of polluters, natural gas facilities and oil and gas wastewater disposal.The Texas Railroad Commission, despite its name, does not regulate railways. It oversees the state’s oil and gas industry, including drilling permits, pipelines and aspects of environmental and safety regulation. Rosenthal will join a three-member commission currently dominated by Republicans.