The Texas Oil and Gas Association, which represents large oil companies including Exxon Mobil and Chevron, left Republican Bo French off a candidate endorsement list released Monday. The group had endorsed French earlier in the race for a seat on the Texas Railroad Commission, the three-member board that oversees oilfield regulation.
President Donald Trump also did not include French in social media posts promoting Republican candidates in Texas. French has faced scrutiny over comments he made on X describing a group of non-white Longhorn fans as a "problem." The association did not immediately respond to requests for comment, and French could not be reached.
His Democratic opponent, state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, said French's absence from the list "speaks for itself." Rosenthal said French "does not seem to reflect the values that our industry forwards." Karr Ingham, president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, said his group does not endorse candidates. He said Rosenthal has engaged with the group more than Democratic candidates historically have, and that Rosenthal has "a reasonable chance" of winning. A Democrat has not held a Railroad Commission seat since 1994.