Culture-war challenger takes early lead in Texas oil-regulator runoff

Bo French, a hard-right insurgent known for anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant comments, led incumbent Jim Wright in the Republican runoff for Texas’s Railroad Commission, a powerful oil-and-gas regulator. Backed by oil-industry donors and grassroots conservatives, French drew attention for culture-war messaging while pledging support for smaller operators and challenging existing regulations. With unofficial results showing French over 50%, the race could decide the general-election outcome in November and has spurred concerns among Abbott and industry groups about regulatory shifts and potential bias in decision-making.