LIVE RESULTS: Texas Railroad Commission Race 2026

AUSTIN, Texas - Polls have closed across Texas as voters decide who will serve on the Texas Railroad Commission, an agency responsible for regulating the state’s powerful oil and gas industry.

The Texas Railroad Commission has no regulatory authority over railroads. Instead, the agency oversees the state’s oil and gas industry, including drilling, pipelines, natural gas facilities, well plugging and oil-field waste.

The winner serves a six-year term on the commission.

Early vote totals and initial precinct counts will begin rolling in as election offices across Texas process ballots.

This is a developing story. Check back for live updates as precinct returns are tabulated.

General Election Nominees

Local perspective:

• Bo French (Republican): Former chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party. French has campaigned on a more conservative approach to the Railroad Commission while also making immigration and cultural issues central to his campaign.
• Jon Rosenthal (Democrat): State representative from the Houston area and a longtime oil and gas mechanical engineer. Rosenthal has focused on stronger enforcement, increased transparency and additional oversight of oil and gas operators.
• Arthur DiBianca (Libertarian): Libertarian candidate seeking a seat on the three-member commission.

Dig deeper:

The race gained attention in September after French posted a photo of University of Texas fans celebrating a Texas Longhorns’ college football victory. French questioned the racial makeup of the students in the image and wrote that it showed how many Americans had been "displaced by foreigners."

The comments drew criticism from members of both parties. U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, called the remarks intolerant, while Gov. Greg Abbott sought to distance himself from French’s interpretation of the photo.

"That is not my message," Abbott said.

French defended the posts, saying the controversy reflected a broader debate over whether Texas institutions should prioritize American citizens over foreign nationals.

The other side:

Rosenthal criticized French and questioned whether he could responsibly serve on a commission that regulates one of the state’s most important industries.

Rosenthal has proposed stronger leak-detection and gas-capture requirements, additional well-plugging efforts and greater transparency in how the commission handles complaints and enforcement.

Big picture view:

The election is also being viewed as a test of whether Republican voters will support French despite the controversy surrounding his public statements. For Democrats, the race represents one of their stronger opportunities in years to compete for a seat on a commission that has not had a Democratic member in decades.

Voters will decide tonight whether French, Rosenthal or DiBianca will serve on the commission beginning in January.

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