Texas voters will decide who helps oversee one of the most powerful industries in the country when they head to the polls in the November 3 general election.
The race for the Texas Railroad Commission features Republican Bo French, Democrat Jon Rosenthal and Libertarian Arthur DiBianca. While the candidates have different political backgrounds and priorities, all three are seeking a seat on the agency responsible for regulating much of the state's massive energy industry.
The contest comes as Texas faces growing questions about energy production, environmental protection, abandoned oil wells and the reliability of natural gas supplies during extreme weather.
For voters, the decision could have consequences that extend well beyond the oil fields of West Texas.
What Does the Texas Railroad Commission Actually Do?
Despite its name, the Texas Railroad Commission has nothing to do with regulating trains. The agency hasn't overseen railroads since 2005.
Instead, it regulates oil and gas production, natural gas facilities, pipelines, hydrogen infrastructure, and coal and uranium surface mining. It also oversees well plugging, conducts inspections and enforces industry regulations.
The commission consists of three statewide elected commissioners who serve staggered six-year terms.
Its responsibilities have expanded in recent years as energy companies pursue new technologies, including underground carbon dioxide storage and hydrogen development.
Those changes have made the agency increasingly important as Texas works to maintain its position as the nation's leading energy producer.
The stakes are enormous.
Texas produces more oil and other hydrocarbons than all other states combined. The industry supports nearly half a million jobs and generates billions of dollars in state and local revenue.
At the same time, energy companies are adapting to rising electricity demand from data centers and other large industrial operations. Natural gas is expected to play a significant role in meeting that demand.
The commission also has responsibilities involving natural gas infrastructure during extreme weather, an issue that has received greater attention following major power outages in Texas.
Against that backdrop, voters have three candidates offering different approaches to the agency's future.
Bo French: Republican
Republican Bo French enters the general election after defeating incumbent Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright in the GOP primary runoff.
French is chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party and has spent decades investing in the energy sector. His family also owns an oil business in Midland, giving him ties to an industry that plays a central role in the Texas economy.
A self-described MAGA Republican, French has built his political identity around conservative activism and efforts to move the Republican Party further to the right.
His campaign combines traditional energy industry priorities with a strong emphasis on cultural and political issues.
French has pledged to eliminate diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, funding and practices within the Railroad Commission.
He also wants to address what he describes as Chinese government influence in the oil industry and has called for stronger partnerships between the United States and Israel.
Other proposals have drawn attention for their focus on social issues rather than the commission's traditional regulatory responsibilities.
French has advocated establishing a pro-family credentialing program for oil and gas operators, connecting his views on family values to the agency's oversight of energy businesses.
He has also argued that Texas must prevent what he calls an Islamic invasion from taking control of the state's oil and gas resources.
His rhetoric has generated significant controversy.
French faced criticism and calls to resign as Tarrant County GOP chairman after posting a social media poll asking followers whether Jews or Muslims posed a greater threat to the United States.
He has also faced criticism over remarks about Asian students at the University of Texas and has called for the federal government to deport 100 million people, a figure that would include American citizens.
Those controversies have made French a polarizing figure, even among some Republicans.
Still, his campaign has attracted substantial financial support from conservative political organizations and energy industry interests.
According to the campaign finance figures provided, French reported $223,192 in cash on hand as of June 30 and raised $333,603 during the first six months of 2026.
Major reported contributors include the Texas Freedom Fund for the Advancement of Justice, supported by conservative donors Tim Dunn and Farris Wilks, along with Texas Conservative Voters PAC.
French's campaign also reported support from Marcia Fuller French, Luke Dunn of Crownquest Operating and Farris Wilks.
His candidacy offers voters a strongly conservative approach that emphasizes energy development alongside broader political and cultural priorities.
Jon Rosenthal: Democrat
Democrat Jon Rosenthal is approaching the Railroad Commission race from a different direction, emphasizing his engineering background and the need for stronger enforcement of existing regulations.
Rosenthal served four terms in the Texas House of Representatives and spent more than two decades working as an oil field mechanical engineer.
That experience has become a central part of his campaign.
Rather than arguing for a major expansion of the commission's authority, Rosenthal maintains that the agency needs to do a better job enforcing the laws and regulations already on the books.
He has criticized what he sees as an overly close relationship between regulators and the energy companies they oversee.
Rosenthal also argues that the commission should measure the effectiveness of its regulations and work with the Texas Legislature when changes are needed.
His proposals include establishing regional community liaisons to help Texans communicate with the agency.
He wants expanded language access, including services in Spanish and Vietnamese, and a 24-hour public hotline that would allow residents to submit complaints by phone or text.
Under his proposal, residents would receive tracking numbers and information about how their cases are being handled.
Rosenthal has also focused on natural gas waste and pollution.
He supports ending routine flaring and venting of natural gas except during emergencies, requiring modern leak detection systems and establishing stronger enforcement timelines.
His platform calls for companies to capture gas that would otherwise be wasted, while providing smaller operators with assistance in meeting regulatory requirements.
Another priority is addressing abandoned oil and gas wells.
Rosenthal wants to expand well-plugging efforts and create public dashboards so Texans can track progress.
He also supports finding new uses for wells that are no longer producing, including geothermal energy development and carbon dioxide storage.
For companies that repeatedly violate regulations, Rosenthal has proposed withholding new permits.
On broader energy policy, he supports American energy independence, efficiency improvements and reducing carbon emissions.
He has credited federal infrastructure and energy legislation passed under former President Joe Biden with helping advance those goals.
Rosenthal reported $167,879 in cash on hand as of June 30 and $64,511 raised during the first half of 2026.
His reported major contributors include musician Donald Henley, the Lone Star Project Nonfederal PAC, investment executive Eddie Allen and the James Talarico campaign.
Rosenthal's campaign presents voters with an alternative centered on technical expertise, regulatory enforcement and public accountability.
Arthur DiBianca: Libertarian
Libertarian Arthur DiBianca is offering voters a third option, with a platform emphasizing limited government, free markets and private property rights.
DiBianca is a retired Austin-area political activist who has previously sought several elected offices.
He ran for Texas House District 51 in 2014, Texas Congressional District 21 in 2020 and Texas Senate District 21 in 2022.
His approach to the Railroad Commission reflects the Libertarian Party's broader philosophy that government should interfere as little as possible in economic and personal affairs.
For the energy industry, that means opposing government subsidies and mandates favoring particular energy sources.
DiBianca supports allowing energy producers to compete in the marketplace without government policies that give certain technologies or companies an advantage.
He also wants competitive access to pipelines, an issue that can affect smaller producers and companies seeking to transport oil and natural gas.
Property rights are another major focus.
DiBianca has expressed concern about government use of eminent domain, particularly when private property is taken for public projects.
He supports protecting both mineral owners and surface property owners.
On environmental issues, DiBianca favors making operators responsible for the costs and risks associated with their activities rather than shifting those expenses to taxpayers.
That includes requiring accountability for plugging abandoned wells and cleaning up former drilling sites.
He supports predictable, transparent compliance requirements that allow businesses to understand their obligations.
DiBianca's campaign has operated with considerably fewer financial resources than those of his major-party opponents.
Campaign finance figures show that he reported no cash on hand as of June 30 and received $694 during the first six months of 2026.
That support came through an in-kind contribution from the Libertarian Booster PAC.
While his campaign faces significant challenges in a statewide race dominated by Republicans and Democrats, DiBianca provides an option for voters who favor smaller government and market-driven energy development.
What Texas Voters Will Decide
The Railroad Commission race presents three competing views of how Texas should oversee its energy industry.
French emphasizes conservative political priorities, energy development and removing initiatives he considers inconsistent with his values.
Rosenthal is campaigning on stronger regulatory enforcement, environmental protections and improved public access to the agency.
DiBianca favors reducing government intervention while protecting property rights and holding companies financially responsible for their operations.
The differences matter as Texas confronts growing electricity demand, aging energy infrastructure and questions about how much oversight the oil and gas industry needs.
For communities across the Texas Panhandle, Permian Basin and other energy-producing regions, the commission's decisions can affect employment, property rights, drilling operations and environmental conditions.
And while the Railroad Commission may not attract the attention given to races for governor or Congress, its decisions can have lasting consequences for the state's economy.
