By Rajwa Quasim
Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner Bo French is facing criticism from members of his own party and political rivals after making comments that critics described as “racist and xenophobic.”
French shared an image of students celebrating the Texas Longhorns’ dramatic comeback victory over Ohio State. Many of the students in the photograph appeared to be of South Asian descent. French framed the photo as evidence of “how many Americans have been replaced by foreigners” and said the situation was “far worse than any of us could imagine.”
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In a follow-up post using the same photo, French 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.”
The post quickly drew criticism from members of his party and other officials. Sen. John Cornyn condemned the comments in an X post, writing, “This is the Republican nominee for statewide office. Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized. This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad.”
Cornyn warned that allowing such rhetoric to become accepted within the Republican Party could damage the party itself.
The timing could make the controversy particularly consequential for Republicans. With the November elections approaching, both parties are seeking to increase their share of the vote, with Republicans focusing on issues such as immigration, border security and cultural issues. French’s comments could become an issue for other Republican candidates, some of whom have either defended him or distanced themselves from his remarks.
Longtime Republican strategist Karl Rove said he plans to vote for Democratic candidate Jon Rosenthal, French’s opponent in the race. Rove called French a “bigot” during an event and criticized his public posts.
Republican Rep. Monica De La Cruz said in a statement that she would condemn racism regardless of where it came from before criticizing her Democratic opponent, Bobby Pulido. Pulido previously apologized for controversial racial remarks.
The question is whether French’s remarks will become a broader issue for Republican candidates rather than remain a controversy centered on him. Although Texas remains a Republican stronghold, the state has a diverse population.
Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows said Republicans can disagree over immigration without attacking people because of their race or ethnicity.
Meanwhile, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sought to sidestep the controversy without directly denouncing French. Abbott said, “That is not my message. A selective picture of Longhorn fans celebrating our biggest home victory-ever-actually shows a way that Texans unite. We all support our college football teams.”
He added, “doesn’t mean that Texas cannot also lead in having the toughest immigration laws of any state in America and freezing H1B visas at our universities.”
Democrats have seized on the controversy to criticize Republicans over immigration and rhetoric surrounding diversity.
The Texas Railroad Commission consists of three commissioners who oversee the state’s oil and gas industry. French defeated incumbent Jim Wright in the Republican primary in May.
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French previously served as chairman of the Tarrant County GOP. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on French to resign from the position last summer after French posted a poll online asking followers whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to America.
Patrick then said in an X post, “Bo French’s words do not reflect my values nor the values of the Republican Party. Antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas. I am calling for the immediate resignation and replacement of French as Chairman.”
It is also worth noting that Texas state law requires 90% of first-year students at public universities to be state residents.