Houston Rep. Rosenthal takes Texas railroad post from Republican opponent

Jon Rosenthal holds 52.5% of the vote in the Texas railroad commissioner race, CBS News projects, as he edges out Republican Bo French, who has 45.6% with approximately 93% of ballots counted. The result secures a Democratic hold on the office for the first time since 1990.

Rosenthal, a Houston state representative, previously worked as an oil field engineer for 25 years. His opponent, Bo French, is originally from Midland and previously served as the chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. Although the office is named for railroads, the three-member commission actually regulates the state's oil and gas sector, which produces more than 40% of the nation's crude oil. The other two seats on the commission are held by Republicans.

The campaign centered on French's public statements regarding immigrants, Muslims, and Jews. He maintained his positions throughout a contest that many viewed as difficult for Texas Republicans. Before the May runoff, many leading elected Republicans in the state rallied against his candidacy. He still secured the nomination, but his comments continued to draw scrutiny after his primary win.

In September, French posted on social media about University of Texas students. He described students who appeared to be of South Asian descent as a problem. In a separate post using the same photograph, he claimed social media showed that foreigners had displaced Americans. Several of the students later identified themselves publicly as American citizens.

The posts attracted national attention and prompted opposition from prominent party members. Republican Sen. John Cornyn, who had recently lost his primary to Ken Paxton, said he would not vote for French. Karl Rove and other Texas Republicans also withheld their support. Despite the opposition, French raised more than $700,000 after the student post. Rosenthal collected more than $500,000 over the same period.

French had shared antisemitic and anti-Muslim comments before winning the primary. His campaign platform called for eliminating DEI policies and stopping what he described as an Islamic invasion of Texas. The platform also included support for life and the nuclear family. The election concluded with Rosenthal holding the lead in the final tallies.