AUSTIN, Texas — Democrat Jon Rosenthal has been projected the winner of the race for Texas Railroad Commissioner, beating Republican Bo French for a seat on the panel that oversees the state’s oil and gas industry.
With roughly 93 percent of the vote counted, Rosenthal had 52.5 percent to 45.6 percent for French. Libertarian Arthur DiBianca was also on the ballot. No Democrat had won a railroad commission race in Texas since 1990.
Despite its name, the three-member commission does not regulate railroads. It oversees oil and gas production in a state that pumps more than 40 percent of the nation’s crude. The other two commissioners are Republicans, and the seat was open, with no incumbent on the ballot.
Rosenthal is a Houston state representative who spent 25 years as an oil field engineer. French, a Fort Worth native, formerly led the Tarrant County Republican Party and runs his own investment firm. He reached the general election by beating incumbent Commissioner James Wright in a May 26 GOP runoff.
The race turned less on energy policy than on French’s posts about immigrants, Muslims and Jews, which drew criticism from many prominent Texas Republicans. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and strategist Karl Rove both said they would not vote for him.
French went on to raise more than $700,000 after one of those posts drew national attention in September, compared with more than $500,000 for Rosenthal over the same stretch.
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