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Texas Railroad Commission candidate Bo French's electoral chances plunged on one of the biggest betting markets in the U.S. after a social media post he shared was condemned as racist and sparked fury with Republican lawmakers.
French, who describes himself as a "MAGA conservative" on his campaign website, shared a photo on X showing students of Asian descent celebrating the University of Texas' football win over Ohio State on Saturday.
In an accompanying caption, he 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."
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Students in the image have since spoken out. Dhairya Gupta, 21, spoke to the Dallas Morning News on Sunday and said of the photo: "It's just people being blatantly racist toward us." Rahul Kodali, also pictured, told the outlet: "Whether or not we are immigrants, that doesn't change anything."
Kodali was born in New York. Gupta is an Indian immigrant, who moved to the U.S. when he was 5 years old and gained citizenship as a child.
Both believe that French should not be elected because of the post.
In a statement shared with Newsweek via email, Gary Bledsoe, president of the Texas NAACP, condemned French's remarks as "unacceptable" and "dangerous."
"They traffic in racial bias and 'otherism,' targeting Texans—including UT students—based on perceived race, ethnicity, or national origin. Asian Texans are our neighbors, classmates, colleagues, and family members. They are just as Texan and American as anyone else," Bledsoe said.
Despite widespread condemnation, French has not changed course on his position or apologized. He added in a follow-up post: "I cheered the win for the team. It was a great game. But I weep for the families in Texas who can't get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans."
In a separate post, he celebrated having hit 100,000 followers on X in the wake of the fallout. "Thank you patriots," he wrote in the post.
The initial post, which has been viewed 45 million times, has been widely criticized by Republican lawmakers. Senator John Cornyn wrote on X: "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."
Texas Governor Greg Abbott said in a statement to Politico: "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."
As of early Monday, French's election chances on the prediction market Kalshi had dropped by 10 percentage points, down from 72 percent on Sunday morning.
Newsweek has contacted the French campaign, the University of Texas and the White House for comment via email.
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French remains the favorite on prediction markets, but the margin between him and the Democratic challenger, state Representative Jon Rosenthal, has tightened.
Rosenthal's odds were at 39.3 percent as of Monday morning, up almost 10 points from the previous day at the same time.
It has been decades since a Democrat held a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates the state's oil and natural gas industry.
The commission is composed of three members, who are elected to serve six-year terms. The terms are staggered so that one seat comes up on the ballot every two years.
Who Is Bo French?
French is a conservative politician, business owner, investor, rancher and mineral owner.
He spent a decade working as an energy trader before founding and managing security companies with operations in the Middle East. He also served as the chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party and is a divorced father of four.
When announcing his candidacy in November 2025, French said: "Texas oil and gas made America great and literally fueled the fight for freedom across the world. I'm running for Railroad Commissioner to put American citizens, American interests, and American energy first."
French won the Republican primary in May against first-term Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, whose reelection bid Abbott had endorsed.
French's campaign has focused on topics such as Sharia law and diversity, equity and inclusion rather than traditional regulatory issues.
In March, while speaking at the Conservative Political Action Conference, French advocated for Republicans to openly embrace Islamophobia and called for the deportation of 100 million people, almost a third of the U.S. population.
French's Sunday posts are not the first time the conservative has employed inflammatory rhetoric that members of the GOP have opposed.
Last year, Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick asked French to resign from his county chairmanship after he posted a social media poll asking whether Muslims or Jews were a bigger threat to the United States.
Patrick said at the time: "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."
Bipartisan Backlash to Bo French's Post
The post about the University of Texas has been met with widespread criticism from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle.
Republican state Representative Jared Patterson wrote on X: "This is racist. It is wrong. And I condemn it without reservation." State Representative Drew Darby, also a Republican, wrote on the platform, "This is racism, plain and simple."
"I have never seen conduct so unbecoming of a Railroad Commissioner or candidate," he added.
Democratic state Representative James Talarico, who is running for the U.S. Senate against Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, commended Cornyn's criticism on X and added, "Racism has no place in Texas."
He called on Paxton to condemn French's remarks, and Paxton responded, "I condemn racism in all its forms, including James Talarico saying white men are America's top terror threat and that he prays to overcome his own 'whiteness,' whatever that means."
Rosenthal, French's Democratic opponent, also criticized the post, writing on X: "I spent 25 years as an oil and gas engineer. Bo French spent Sunday morning sorting our student section by skin color."
French has maintained his position in spite of the backlash. Responding to Cornyn's criticism, he wrote on X: "Our state's institutions have been overrun by illegal aliens and foreign nationals because of RINOs like John Cornyn who have cheered for them over our own citizens. He and the other America Last losers are mad that Texas Republicans are starting to put America First."
What Happens Next
The Texas Railroad commissioner election is scheduled for November 3.
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Tobias Meyjes, Shakeema Edwards and Emma Lee-Sang
Update 09/16/26 05:32 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include a statement from Bledsoe.
Update 09/15/26 08:19 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information.
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