Bo French's Run for Texas Railroad Commission

Energy investor Bo French is challenging incumbent Jim Wright in a runoff for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the three-member body that regulates natural-gas pricing, pipeline safety, and oil-waste policy. French forced the runoff by earning 31.7 % of the March primary vote, just ahead of Wright’s 32 % according to the Texas secretary of state. The runoff is scheduled for Tuesday.

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The Railroad Commission, which stopped regulating railroads in 2005, sets natural-gas prices, oversees pipeline safety, and issues environmental rules for Texas’s oil sector. French, a former Tarrant County GOP chair, runs on Islamophobic rhetoric—calling Muslims “savages” and promising to deport 100 million people—while portraying himself as a champion of small independent drillers. He is backed by independent operators and Texas billionaires Miriam Adelson and Harlan Crow. Wright, the incumbent and owner of an oil-field waste-services firm, is supported by larger multinational producers and an association representing the country’s oil and gas majors, which favor modest regulatory reforms.

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French earned 31.7 % of the primary vote while Wright earned 32 %. Independent drillers contributed $375,000 through the Texas Freedom Fund PAC, and the two billionaires donated to a pro-Wright super PAC.

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Wright introduced the first oil-waste reform in over 40 years, requiring sealed linings for some pits. French called the rules “New Mexico-style pit rules” and likened them to “Obama, Biden-era EPA-type regulations” that would hurt operators. Critics say the measures are insufficient to stop toxic geysers, and rising fracking wastewater and unfilled abandoned wells strain the commission’s capacity.

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Governor Greg Abbott, supporting Wright, warned French would damage the oil and gas sector. Wright called the new waste-pit rules a two-year draft after many failed attempts. Texas GOP leaders, including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, urged French’s resignation over his Islamophobic posts.

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Texas Republicans condemned French’s poll comparing Jews and Muslims and his extremist remarks. Environmental advocates say Wright’s regulations are too weak to prevent future toxic geysers. Critics argue French’s focus on DEI and “radical climate-change ideology” distracts from technical policy needs.

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• “But this really isn’t a political office. This is a regulatory office.” — Bo French, New York Times interview

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• “Do you really want a commissioner who would sell out his own neighbors to a Muslim government? I don’t,” — Bo French, campaign ad

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• “It’s gone to award contracts based on skin color or based on gender, as opposed to awarding contracts based on merit,” — Bo French, interview

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The Tuesday runoff will determine whether the commission continues Wright’s incremental reforms or adopts French’s culture-war-driven agenda, shaping Texas’s oil-waste policy for the next six years.

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