Tarrant County Republican Party Chairman Bo French has announced he will not seek re-election as county chair and will instead run for the Texas Railroad Commission in 2026.
French, who was raised in Midland and has invested in the Texas energy sector for three decades, touted his accomplishments as county chairman, pointing to record fundraising and GOP gains in 2024, including flipping a constable seat and carrying Tarrant County for Donald Trump.
The Texas Railroad Commission, despite its name, does not regulate railroads. It oversees the state’s vital oil and gas industry, pipelines, natural gas utilities, and surface mining. The agency is led by three statewide elected commissioners who serve staggered six-year terms.
In his announcement, French said he would bring his “America First” approach to the Railroad Commission.
“The Texas oil and gas industry needs a strong defender who will never back down to leftist pressure,” said French. “As your next Railroad Commissioner, I will fight to end DEI, radical climate change ideology, and foreign capture of our oil and gas industries. I am the battle-tested conservative in this race, and I will always fight to put America First.”
French will be challenging incumbent Republican Jim Wright, who was elected in 2020 and has announced plans to seek re-election.
On the Democrat side, State Rep. Jon Rosenthal (D–Houston) has declared his candidacy.
The other two commissioners are Wayne Christian and Christi Craddick. Craddick, recently re-elected in 2024, is now running for state comptroller but will not have to vacate her commission seat during her campaign.
French resigned his position as Tarrant County GOP chair on Wednesday morning.
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