Jon Rosenthal heads toward victory in Texas Railroad Commission race, the first Dem to hold the role in 32 years

ODESSA — Democrat Jon Rosenthal declared victory after Bo French conceded Tuesday night, marking a dramatic upset that broke decades of complete Republican control over Texas’ oil and gas commission, which oversees the state’s colossal fossil fuel industry.

Rosenthal first declared victory at about 10:20 p.m. after other statewide Democratic candidates, including James Talarico and Gina Hinojosa, won their elections for U.S. Senate and the governor’s mansion, respectively. Just before midnight, French conceded the race.

The Associated Press has not yet called the race.

“My name is Jon Rosenthal, and I’m about to become your next Railroad Commissioner,” he told an enthusiastic crowd at an election night event. “The people of Texas are sending a message: The politics of hate no longer work.”

Rosenthal, a state lawmaker from the Houston area, beat French, a Tarrant County Republican and conservative provocateur, after several high-profile Republicans turned on French when he posted a series of racist social media posts about South Asian students at a University of Texas football game. The backlash from the likes of Karl Rove, a presidential adviser to George W. Bush, catapulted the race — and Rosenthal — into the national spotlight. 

The outcome is historic for Texas Democrats, who haven’t held an elected statewide office in decades. Rosenthal is the first Democrat on the commission since 1990.  

To be sure, Rosenthal likely will be outvoted 2-1 on many issues. Still, he will help shepherd the commission into a booming era for oil and gas companies, thanks in part to soaring demand from the Iran war, which has in turn driven up fuel prices for consumers.

The three-member commission must also decide what to do about oil and gas wastewater that companies traditionally inject underground as they run out of space to store it. The new commissioner will inherit a half-billion-dollar budget and counting, the largest in years.

It is a defining moment for Rosenthal, who began his campaign with minuscule campaign contributions and little name recognition. In a matter of months — thanks to French and his inflammatory statements — Rosenthal’s reputation and war chest soared. Rosenthal amassed more than $1 million from donors across the country, a feat no Democrat before him achieved. 

Several polls, including the Texas Politics Project at the University of Austin, Texas Southern University and the University of Houston schools of public affairs, showed French was neck and neck with Rosenthal, who raised far less money and lacked backing from the oil and gas industry. 

Rosenthal’s campaign leaned heavily on his industry and legislative experience, despite French’s onslaught of attacks labeling him as a “radical progressive” for his support of the LGBTQ+ community. At campaign events, Rosenthal explained the functions of the commission and discussed salient industry issues, such as wastewater, pollution and electricity costs. He rarely responded to attacks on social issues.

According to his platform, Rosenthal plans to pursue recurrent polluters, crack down on natural gas facilities and their emergency preparedness, impose a first-of-its-kind fee to inject wastewater underground and make public the commission’s work on orphan oil and gas wells. 

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