Bo French, Jon Rosenthal raise more than $1M combined in second-highest fundraising haul

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The two candidates in a contest to regulate the Texas oil and gas industry raised a combined $1.3 million in the latest reporting period, among the highest fundraising totals to date, more than a month after a viral tweet sparked vigorous backlash against the Republican nominee.

Bo French, the GOP nominee who drew backlash from his party last month for a racist post on X about Southeast Asian students, raised roughly $748,000 from Sept. 25 – Oct. 24. The report is his second-highest since launching his campaign for Texas Railroad Commissioner. He spent nearly a million, with $434,508 in his coffers and a $100,000 loan.

French’s biggest donors include Richard Sands, an oil and gas executive for New York City-based LRG Energy LLC, which owns 5,000 wells in the Texas Panhandle, and who gave the Republican $200,000. Texas United for a Conservative Majority, a political action committee predominantly bankrolled by West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn, gave $300,000. At least $600,000 has gone toward TV ads and mailers.

Donors gave his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, the biggest fundraising period yet. The Cypress Democrat raised $524,245, bringing his total to more than $1 million, his largest haul to date. He has $561,552 cash on hand.

Among his benefactors are Susan Sarofim, a Houston socialite and philanthropist who gave $100,000. Austin-based attorney R. Stephen McNally gave $40,000, the second-largest donation this cycle for Rosenthal. Rishi Bhutada, executive vice president of a Houston-based manufacturing company, donated $25,000.

Rosenthal spent merely $242,000 in consulting fees to VoteShift, which coordinates campaign logistics, such as events and advertising, text and emails, and social media. One of its clients is U.S Rep. Christian Menefee, who defeated Al Green in May’s primary election to represent the newly redrawn 18th congressional district.

Notably absent from the report are the state’s biggest oil companies and the Texas Oil and Gas Association’s political group, both of which have a history of generous donations to former Republican candidates. On Sept. 10, French said the association had endorsed him. But on Monday, when the association released a slate of endorsements, it left French’s name out. The association has not publicly retracted its support, despite condemning his comments last month.

Rosenthal and French are in a dead-heat race to fill a vacant spot at the Texas Railroad Commission, the agency that regulates yearslong, record-breaking production that supplied nearly half of the country’s oil last year. The winner will join the all-Republican three-member board of commissioners that regulates production and carbon storage, issues environmental violations and oversees the state’s massive pipeline network.

Polls showed both candidates are neck and neck, despite French out-raising his Democratic opponent in all but one reporting period. French has raised at least $3 million throughout his campaign, with most contributions coming from wealthy conservative donors Dunn and Farris Wilks through political action committees.

Disclosure: Rishi Bhutada has been a financial supporter of The Texas Tribune within the past five years. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.