Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) will not vote for the Republican seeking a spot on a Texas commission overseeing the state’s oil and natural gas industry after the candidate made disparaging remarks about University of Texas football fans that were condemned as racist.
Cornyn called Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, a threat to the GOP’s entire statewide ticket. French has drawn controversy for posting a photo featuring mostly students of color from Saturday’s game between the University of Texas and Ohio State and saying that “the problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined.”
When asked by the Washington Examiner on Thursday whether Cornyn would support the Republican, the senator paused.
“No,” Cornyn said. “He’s an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he’s going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments.”
Cornyn had yet to decide whether to vote for French’s Democratic opponent, state Rep. Jon Rosenthal.
“I may just leave it blank,” he said.
The Washington Examiner has reached out to the French campaign for comment. French has fundraised off his initial post and stood by his statement in a subsequent one.
“I cheered the win for the team. It was a great game,” French said of the victory against Ohio. “But I weep for the families in Texas who can’t get into UT because they prioritize foreigners over Texans. Shame on you for ignoring that fact.”
Cornyn is retiring from Congress in January after losing the Senate GOP primary to Texas state Attorney General Ken Paxton. The longtime senator has grown increasingly critical of some in his party who he believes could undermine Republicans in the midterm elections. But in French’s case, the condemnation has also come from other Texas Republicans.
Cornyn was critical in recent days but had stopped short of revealing his plans at the ballot box.
“The tolerance of bigotry, antisemitism, and corruption destroys great political parties, and I think that’s the last thing the Republican Party needs in Texas during a time when we have political headwinds,” Cornyn told reporters Monday.
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Paxton, the state’s attorney general, condemned racism generally in response to a challenge from Democratic rival James Talarico but did not single out French.
“I condemn racism in all its forms, including James Talarico saying white men are America’s top terror threat and that he prays to overcome his own ‘whiteness,’ whatever that means,” Paxton posted. “Only one person in this race has a history of dividing Texans by race, and it’s James Talarico. I will continue to focus on uniting our State and bringing together the broadest possible coalition to fight for Texas, our values, and our families.”