A severe intra-party dispute has erupted across Texas after senior Republican figures publicly rebuked Bo French, a GOP candidate running for a seat on the state’s Railroad Commission, following an incendiary social media post aimed at non-white college football fans.
The sharpest condemnation came from veteran political strategist Karl Rove, who announced at a private Austin gathering that he would break a 32-year habit of exclusively supporting Republican contenders to vote for French's Democratic opponent, Houston lawmaker Jon Rosenthal. Rove, widely recognized for his tenure as a senior adviser to former President George W. Bush, explicitly labeled French a bigot over the online remarks.
The controversy originated shortly after the University of Texas Longhorns secured an upset football victory against top-ranked Ohio State, propelled by a fourth-quarter comeback led by quarterback Arch Manning. Following the matchup, French published an image on the social platform X showing a group of non-Caucasian students wearing team gear as they celebrated the program's dramatic win.
Accompanying the photograph, French claimed he had heard rumors about the racial makeup of recent university graduations and asserted that the situation was now significantly worse than previously assumed. French appeared to frame the Asian and minority students as outsiders, drawing immediate backlash from both educational leaders and fellow party members.
French provided no evidence regarding the nationality or enrollment status of the students featured in the image. According to official data from Texas Global, fewer than 10 percent of the roughly 55,000 students enrolled at the University of Texas at Austin originate from foreign countries.
Political analysts note that French’s decision to cast Asian students as non-Texans without factual basis underscores the extent to which once-fringe viewpoints have gained visibility within mainstream Republican political messaging nationwide.
The post quickly drew open criticism from established figures within the state's Republican hierarchy. United States Senator John Cornyn took to X to voice his dismay, urging party members to repudiate such rhetoric and warning that engaging in bigotry toward fellow Texans risks reducing the GOP to a minority party.
Cornyn’s intervention comes on the heels of a turbulent primary season in which the long-serving establishment senator was defeated by Ken Paxton, the scandal-plagued state attorney general backed by Donald Trump. Cornyn’s rebuke also highlighted French's subsequent efforts to raise campaign funds off the controversy generated by his post.
Texas Governor Greg Abbott also distanced his administration from French’s characterization, telling reporters that such rhetoric does not reflect his message. Abbott maintained that images of diverse fans rejoicing after historic athletic victories demonstrate how sports unite the state under the shared Texas brand.
State Senator Lacey Hull similarly appealed to French on social media, expressing sadness over the candidate's characterization of the crowd and requesting that the original message be deleted. Hull emphasized that the photograph merely depicted passionate Texas students enthusiastically cheering on their university team.
Kevin Eltife, who serves as the chairman of the University of Texas System Board of Regents, issued a formal response reinforcing support for the student community. Eltife remarked that the crowd shown in the photograph reflected the same proud Longhorn spirit seen regularly across campus and at graduation ceremonies.
Despite the growing wave of criticism, French refused to back down or apologize for his statements. During a Monday broadcast on a radio program hosted by Mark Davis, the Railroad Commission nominee dismissed his intra-party detractors by categorizing them as less ideologically conservative.
French defended his stance by pointing to his earlier primary election, claiming that establishment entities spent around $7 million in an effort to thwart his nomination. He argued that the individuals criticizing his social media conduct were largely the same political figures who opposed his primary campaign.
The dispute over French’s rhetoric comes as several other Republican midterm candidates face heightened scrutiny regarding inflammatory, misogynistic, or extremist background remarks.
In another high-profile Texas race, congressional nominee Brandon Herrera has faced persistent pushback over prior content published under his right-wing online persona, "the AK guy." Herrera, who commands a substantial following on YouTube, previously drew fire for making derogatory sexual comments toward women in a 2020 promotional video involving firearms.
Herrera was also formally condemned by the Republican Jewish Coalition after describing a firearm from the Nazi era with an offensive racial moniker, prompting the organization to label him an extremist. The repeated controversies illustrate an intensifying ideological friction across the party as voters prepare to cast ballots in upcoming general election contests.
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