ODESSA — Texas Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright and challenger Bo French will head to a runoff election, unofficial election results showed Tuesday, as neither could break through the required majority to secure the nomination.
A candidate needs to win at least 50% of the vote to head to the general election.
The candidate who wins the runoff election will face state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, D-Houston, in November. Rosenthal did not have a primary opponent. No Democrat has been elected to the commission since 1995.
“Voters sent a clear message — burdensome regulations, collaborating with the Democrats, and promoting racist DEI will NOT be tolerated by Texas Republicans,” French wrote on X, acknowledging the runoff results. “The sheer number of candidates who ran, and the fact that nearly 70% voted against the incumbent, show that Texans are tired of him.”
The Railroad Commission is the state agency that regulates the state’s oil and gas industry. The decisions made by the commission reverberate across the economy and the environment.
The election comes at a turning point for the industry, as oil companies seek to reinvent their business models to increase profit. Companies are increasingly turning to other industries they could help power, such as natural gas and data centers. Carbon capture has also become a profitable venture, with the federal government approving generous tax incentives for construction as part of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.
The commission is also grappling with a growing list of abandoned oil and gas wells, some of which have become conduits for industrial wastewater that shoots upwards.
Wright told The Texas Tribune in an earlier interview that the commission had been supervising programs to repurpose the wastewater — known as produced water — for water-parched communities in Texas.
“I think we have a lot of momentum today behind using that water,” he said. “That source of water, once it’s treated, could be the source of water that helps dilute the cost for all of these communities that are having to look at alternative water sources. I think we have made huge progress in making that a reality.”
French, whose family owns an oil company in Midland, French Oil Company, recently stepped down as chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party to run for the seat at the commission. Behind Wright, he was the second most prolific fundraiser among the candidates, rasing more than $279,000.
In his campaign, French said he would crack down on foreign ownership of Texas land, particularly Chinese and Islamic. He also said he would tackle diversity efforts at the commission, looking strip any funding he believes to be tied to minority groups. Throughout the campaign, French made headlines for controversial calls to revoke the citizenship of native americans.
Numerous Republican groups endorsed French ahead of the primary election, including Texas Values, a conservative think tank, and multiple regional groups.
Wright, in a statement, said he was confident he’d prevail in the runoff.
“While there is more work ahead, I remain confident that when given a choice, Texans will always choose results over rhetoric and elect the Wright candidate to lead the Railroad Commission,” he said.
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