The Texas Oil & Gas Association PAC’s slate for the November 2026 general election names candidates in statewide and state House races, but not in the contest for the Railroad Commission. The omission stands out because Republican Bo French said in September that the PAC had endorsed him for the seat. The slate does not explain why the race is absent.
What the PAC’s slate includes
The PAC’s published slate says it covers candidates running in the November 2026 general election. A Dallas Express review found endorsements for governor, lieutenant governor, attorney general and comptroller, as well as several state House races. It lists no candidate for the Railroad Commission.
French announced on September 10 that the PAC had endorsed him, saying, “I am thrilled to receive the endorsement of the Texas Oil & Gas Association PAC.” The new slate does not name French or Democrat Jon Rosenthal, his opponent, for the commission race. The Dallas Express reported that the document does not say whether the PAC has changed its position on French or why the race is missing.
House endorsements are separate from the commission contest
Buried in the same slate is an endorsement for Democrat Odus Evbagharu, who is running for House District 135 — the seat currently held by Rosenthal, French's Railroad Commission opponent. The Dallas Express is careful to note that endorsement applies only to the House race, not to Rosenthal's statewide bid. The PAC also backed Democrats Terry Canales of Edinburg, Ramón Romero Jr. of Fort Worth, Salman Bhojani of Euless, and Oscar Longoria of La Joya in various House contests, alongside Republican statewide candidates including Governor Greg Abbott and Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick.
As of October 28, the organization had not responded to the Dallas Express’s request for comment, the outlet reported. TXOGA says it supports Republicans and Democrats who back the oil and gas industry; the outlet also reported that the organization has urged supporters to fund political efforts to defend the industry.
The September endorsement and later condemnation
The uncertainty follows a public dispute over French’s social media activity. The Texas Oil and Gas Association Political Action Committee had endorsed him for the Railroad Commission days before the Texas Tribune reported on his “most recent social media musings.” TXOGA PAC later said it “unequivocally and without reservation condemns the recent tweet posted September 13th on X by Bo French.” The Tribune also reported that political scientists warned his polarizing online comments could pose risks to business operations and workforce relations for oil and gas companies.
Industry support for French has also been a point of uncertainty. KERA reported that the oil and gas industry has unusually withheld financial support from the Republican candidate. The outlet also cited a University of Texas/Texas Politics Project poll that put Rosenthal ahead by one point, within the poll’s three-percent margin of error.
A competitive race, according to industry observers
Karr Ingham told the Houston Chronicle that Rosenthal had been more proactive than Democratic candidates typically have been in engaging with the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers, and said Rosenthal had a reasonable chance of winning. KXAN also reported that polling pointed to a close contest heading into November.
The commission’s role and what the slate cannot show
According to the Railroad Commission of Texas, the agency’s primary regulatory authority covers oil and natural gas exploration, production and transportation, as well as pipeline safety, natural gas utilities and surface mining operations. In this November 2026 general-election contest, Republican Bo French is running against Democrat Jon Rosenthal for a commission seat. An endorsement announcement does not, by itself, show what a PAC reported in contributions or expenditures. The Texas Ethics Commission’s searchable campaign-finance database is a separate resource for checking reported campaign-finance activity; the endorsement slate provides no such figures.
French’s platform calls for expanding oil and gas production and cutting regulations on operators, arguing that increased output would help lower costs for Texans, according to the Dallas Express. Whether the missing endorsement reflects a lasting rift or a procedural choice remains unclear: the slate offers no explanation, and the organization has not publicly addressed the omission.
