Cornyn Declines to Vote for GOP Candidate French Over Controversial Social Media Post

Senator John Cornyn of Texas announced Thursday that he will not vote for Republican Bo French for Texas railroad commissioner, citing the candidate's recent "racist comments" on social media. Cornyn expressed concern that French's remarks are an "embarrassment to the Republican Party" and could negatively impact the entire Republican ticket.

French, who is seeking a statewide position regulating the state's oil and natural gas production, posted an image on Sunday showing students celebrating a Texas Longhorns football victory. Many students of color were visible in the photograph. French commented that while he cheered the team's win, he "weep[s] for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans." He later added, "The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined."

It remains unclear if any students in the photo were international students. Texas law requires the University of Texas at Austin to reserve 90% of its undergraduate spots for Texas residents, with no more than 10% of enrollment allowed for non-residents, including international students. Data indicates that international students constitute a small fraction, 4.3%, of UT Austin's total student population.

Cornyn's decision follows widespread condemnation of French's post. Karl Rove, a Republican strategist and former adviser to President George W. Bush, also declared in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he would vote for French's Democratic opponent. Rove stated, "The GOP’s stables need a cleaning. This is a good place to start."

Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows urged French to remove his post, asserting, "You can oppose immigration policy without demeaning people because of their race or ethnicity -- this post has crossed the line."

Cornyn had previously called on other Republican officials to denounce French's comments. "Are other Republican elected officials going to condemn the intolerance and racism, or look the other way while it becomes normalized?" Cornyn posted on social media Sunday. "This is how great political parties self-destruct. Sad."

French has defended his remarks, claiming that the "radical left and their allies" are attacking him and using the situation to promote his campaign fundraising. Speaking on a conservative radio broadcast Monday, French reiterated his stance, stating his concern about policies prioritizing "foreigners" over Americans, aligning with the "America First movement."

The Republican Party of Texas and French's campaign have not yet responded to requests for comment. Texas Democratic Party Chairman Kendall Scudder criticized French's comments as offensive and contrary to American values, and also called out the silence from state Republican leadership and Governor Greg Abbott.

Cornyn indicated that he might not vote for the Democratic candidate, Jon Rosenthal, stating, "I may just leave it blank."