Bo French

Bo French is a 3rd-generation oilman and has several decades of experience in Texas energy. He began in the industry in 1994 and worked as an energy trader for a decade. He has owned and operated security businesses in the Middle East, providing security for the biggest energy companies in the world. In addition, he is a rancher and mineral owner. Bo has been a long-time Republican activist. Recently, he has served as the Chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, the largest red county in the nation, since 2023. He is a proven conservative fighter who has stood up to the Chinese Communist Party and radical Islam, as well as the radical Left and Never Trump factions, having refused to back down to attacks from all sides.

1) End the incumbent's Green New Deal-style regulations and make the RRC efficient. 2) End DEI at the Railroad Commission. 3) Fight the Islamic Invasion of Texas and get foreign enemies out of Texas energy. I can't foresee any conflict of interest issues, but I will always do what is right by the people of Texas. I don't have any plans on how long I intend to serve, because that decision is up to God and the people of Texas.

I am a 3rd-generation oilman and have several decades in the oil industry, having started in 1994. I have experience across many parts of the energy sector, including work as an energy trader and in energy security. So I understand the operator's perspective. I am also a rancher and mineral owner, and have dealt with environmental issues on my property from oil wells, so I also understand the perspective of the property owner. I am the only candidate who really gets both sides of the issue, which will help me to strike the appropriate balance when making decisions. Additionally, I am the only candidate who is willing to be outspoken on the issues that matter to Republicans. I do believe that this is an important characteristic for any elected official. Even if you're running for dog catcher, I want you to be an outspoken America-First conservative and defend our values.

100%. I am the only candidate in the race who has called for this. Two highlights of my platform that pertain to DOGE at the RRC are as follows. 1) Ending DEI-based decision-making at the RRC and enforcing competitive contract bidding. Currently, these are not happening under the incumbent, who has instead focused on DEI-based decision-making and non-competitive contracts. 2) Revolutionizing permitting. Many permits currently must be submitted by snail mail on paper. We live in the 21st century. By making the process digital and streamlining the process, we will make the RRC far more efficient and make it easier for operators to get cheap energy to Texans.

The right to property is one of the most American values and core to our constitutional form of government. It is something that should not only be taken seriously by the Railroad Commission, but something that should always be at the top of mind when making decisions. I know this as someone whose property has been negatively impacted by oil wells. Now, it is also important to take care of Texans by having a thriving energy sector. Obviously, a balance must be struck. I believe that the balance is simple. Operators should be given latitude to do what needs to be done, safely, to produce the energy Texans need, while not harming property owners.

Texas energy is the lifeblood of our state, and we should not play games with it. We know what works, and should rely on these stable resources of energy. It is ok for companies to develop and innovate other sources, but we shouldn't be giving them subsidies or giving developing methods priority over tried and true methods.

We already have setback rules in place and regulations protecting air quality, as well as groundwater protections. When we have common-sense rules in place, they benefit citizens by keeping them safe and healthy, while giving operators a clear and reliable environment to work within. I believe that our rules can be improved by tailoring them to the various circumstances operators face across the state. For example, things look different in the Permian Basin than they do in East Texas. I believe that we can better serve both citizens and operators by making sure rules are appropriate to the locations these operators are working in.

I have always believed in doing the right thing, no matter what. I always say that anyone who supports my vision is welcome to contribute to my campaign, but that a donation will never affect what I do in office. To allow contributions to impact my choices would be dishonest to the people I represent - the people of Texas. Even though the RRC is an agency of the State, it is still a product of our representative government. As a Railroad Commissioner, I will be a representative of the people of Texas, to whom I am ultimately responsible. Every vote I take as a commissioner will be based on one thing: whether I am doing what the people of Texas elected me to do. Full stop.

I referenced this in the DOGE response, but RRC permitting is woefully outdated. There is no reason for this. By making all permitting capable of digital submission and processing, we will make the RRC far more efficient both for operators and the Commission. It won't take the same amount of manpower to get through applications. Using modern technology, we can also make it easier to process the data required for applications. I have also called to drain the bureaucracy in Austin and return power to the RRC district offices. Under the incumbent, power has centralized in Austin, where the inherently inefficient bureaucrats increasingly run everything. I believe we can make the Commission more efficient by returning power to the district offices. These offices and staff are local and better know the operators and issues relevant to their regions. That would work far better than funneling everything through Austin.

This is true. Lack of winterization was a big problem in February of 2021, and something that needs to be addressed. It is the duty of the government to make sure that operators are prepared for disasters that could have a massive negative impact on the people of Texas. This is something that I will push for at the RRC.

I don't believe the RRC has done enough to influence legislation. I would go further. My philosophy of elected office (something I carried out as Tarrant GOP Chairman) is that you should always use the "bully pulpit" of your office to push for victory in everything that conservatives care about. For example, I would certainly want the Legislature to do things that will help achieve our goals at the RRC, but I would also want to see them pass other conservative priorities that don't directly impact the RRC.

The two have different standards because they are different agencies with different jurisdictions covering different subject matter. For example, the RRC covers oil and gas-related standards, while the TCEQ covers broader subject matter. So they will have different emphases and thus different answers to remediation standards in some instances.

In terms of proven reserves, a more conservative estimate is about just over a decade of proven crude oil reserves and about two decades of proven natural gas. This is, of course, an estimate and can fluctuate with changing production trends and methods. There are obviously far more technically recoverable hydrocarbons in our state.

It's always good to see what technology can allow us to do that we haven't been able to do before. But the idea of "sustainability" as discussed today is just a leftist, Chinese propaganda tool that is used to kneecap American production so that China can outcompete us. I'm against this. My priority is Texan and American energy independence and dominance, not "sustainability."

There are many energy sources to look at, and the free market is doing a good job of that. I don't believe the RRC should be trying to pick and choose winners in this sector from the top down. If private industry wants to safely develop certain alternative resources, and they prove effective at improving Texas energy, that's great. I believe the RRC should create a safe and reliable environment for operators to do this, but shouldn't be telling them which sources they should or should not pursue.

The biggest impact was on our refineries, which lost a lot of business from the closing of KXL. Because the RRC doesn't regulate interstate pipelines, the best way it can minimize the impacts of events like this is to promote intrastate infrastructure and commerce and ensure that the Texas energy sector is thriving on its own.

As a conservative, I am generally against government intervention in the economy. The only way the RRC should "intervene" is in ways that are critical to protect Texans and their interests. This should be done 5carefully and with common-sense rules that balance the protection of Texans and their interests, while allowing operators to operate and provide Texans with the resources they need. Job creation is more the realm of private industry and the free market. However, if the state government is creating a reliable environment for the free market to operate, it will do its job of allowing the free market to work at maximum efficiency and thus help create jobs.

The contrast in this race is clear. I am an America-First, conservative fighter with a proven record of fighting for conservative values in the Republican Party. One of my opponents, the incumbent, is a major Democrat donor with nearly $50k in donations to radical leftists, including the former Chair of the DNC and Dan Patrick's Democrat opponent. He has also been a major proponent of DEI and Green New Deal-style regulation at the RRC. Another of my opponents was the Democratic candidate against the Republican candidate in 2024, and even fundraised on ActBlue until she filed to run as a Republican last winter. Another of my opponents was the Libertarian candidate against the Republican candidate in 2024. Two of my opponents ran against the Republican ticket in 2024 when President Trump was on the ballot, and the other is a major Democrat donor and proponent of DEI. The contrast couldn't be clearer.

I have received endorsements from grassroots organizations across the state. They support me because they recognize that I am THE conservative, grassroots candidate in this race. Endorsements include: American Principles Project, Texas Values Action, American Jewish Conservatives, Denton County Conservative Coalition (D3C), Texas Gun Rights, Texans for Fiscal Responsibility, Tarrant County Law Enforcement Association, True Texas Project, Texans for Toll-Free Highways, Texans Uniting for Reform and Freedom, Texas Conservative Review, The Link Letter, Texans for Strong Borders, Texas Family Project, Young Republicans of Texas, We the People - Liberty in Action, Coastal Bend Republican Coalition, Parker County Conservatives, Wise County Conservatives, The Michael Berry Show