Bo French, a Republican candidate for the Railroad Commission of Texas, is facing criticism after he commented on a video of University of Texas students celebrating a football victory. French posted a screenshot of the crowd, which included students of Asian and South Asian descent, and stated that "social media is exposing how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners."
The video was originally posted by the University of Texas athletics department following the team's victory over Ohio State. In his post, French compared the footage to bodycams exposing criminals and described the situation as "far worse than any of us could imagine." French later defended his remarks on a Dallas-based radio program, "The Mark Davis Show," where he argued that Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs discriminate against "deserving people" and labeled the selection of "preferred groups" by administrators as racism.
The comments drew criticism from several political figures. French's Democratic opponent Jon Rosenthal described the remarks as "politics of hate," stating that French saw only "division" in a moment of student unity. Within the Republican party, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and U.S. Senator John Cornyn also condemned the post, with Cornyn characterizing the statement as racism.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott (R) addressed the matter by stating that French’s remarks were "not my message," while simultaneously calling for stricter immigration enforcement. Michael Adams, a political scientist at Texas Southern University, noted that the controversy has brought attention to the Railroad Commission, an agency that regulates the state's oil and gas industry and typically maintains a lower public profile.
A voter in Texas would notice this development through media coverage of an office that usually receives little public attention. Political scientist Michael Adams suggests the remarks could motivate people to vote who otherwise might have ignored the down-ballot race.
Political analyst Brandon Rottinghaus suggests that such controversies reflect ongoing internal debates within the party regarding national identity and create potential liabilities for the Republican party in Texas. Because the Railroad Commission regulates a sector vital to the Texas economy and the national energy supply, the stability of its leadership is a matter of interest to energy markets and state policymakers. The next steps in the process involve the upcoming election for the commission seat.