Overview
- Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, posted a photo of University of Texas fans on Sunday and wrote that the scene showed “how many Americans have been displaced by foreigners,” language widely called racist and xenophobic.
- French doubled down after criticism, publicly attacking Senator John Cornyn and calling critics “RINOs,” while some state Republicans defended him or downplayed the remarks.
- High-profile Texas Republicans including Cornyn and House Speaker Dustin Burrows publicly condemned the posts, and the University of Texas System’s chairman issued a statement defending students.
- Strategists say the controversy has shifted attention away from other GOP messaging and created a damaging distraction for Republican campaigns as counties begin mailing ballots.
- French has a documented record of extreme rhetoric, including past calls to deport large numbers of people, which commentators say underscores a deeper establishment-versus-far-right split inside the Texas GOP.