John Cornyn says he won't vote for Bo French after racist social media post

Texas Republican railroad commissioner nominee Bo French is facing intense intraparty backlash after posting a photo of diverse University of Texas football fans on X, calling them a "problem" and accusing the university of prioritizing "foreigners." In response, U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced he will not vote for French, calling him an "embarrassment." Prominent GOP strategist Karl Rove went further, announcing he will vote for French's Democratic opponent, Jon Rosenthal.

Bo French racist post

• ▪Bo French defended his social media post by claiming he was raising a policy question about whether Texas universities prioritize "foreigners" over Texans, though it was unconfirmed if any students in the photo were international students.
• ▪Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas railroad commissioner, posted a photo on X showing a racially diverse group of University of Texas football fans, including students of South Asian descent, with the caption: "The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined."

Republican Party condemnation

• ▪Texas Governor Greg Abbott distanced himself from Bo French's post, telling Politico that "that is not my message" and stating that the photo of celebrating fans shows how Texans unite.
• ▪U.S. Senator John Cornyn of Texas publicly condemned Bo French's social media comments as "racist" and "bigotry," calling French "an embarrassment to the Republican Party."
• ▪Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and state Representative Lacey Hull urged Bo French to delete the controversial social media post, with Burrows stating the post "crossed the line."

Cornyn voting decision

• ▪U.S. Senator John Cornyn stated he is undecided on whether he will vote for Democratic nominee Jon Rosenthal or leave his ballot blank for the Texas railroad commissioner race.
• ▪U.S. Senator John Cornyn announced on September 17, 2026, that he will not vote for Bo French in the upcoming election for Texas railroad commissioner.

Karl Rove Democratic vote

• ▪Republican strategist Karl Rove announced in a Wall Street Journal op-ed that he will vote for Democrat Jon Rosenthal over Bo French for Texas railroad commissioner.
• ▪Karl Rove stated that voting for Jon Rosenthal would mark only the second time in his life that he has voted for a Democratic candidate.

University of Texas enrollment

• ▪Texas law mandates that the University of Texas at Austin reserve 90% of its undergraduate spots for Texas residents, capping international and out-of-state admissions at 10%.
• ▪University of Texas at Austin admissions data for 2025-26 shows that fewer than 2,000 international students were enrolled, representing 4.3% of the total student body.

French controversial statement history

• ▪At the Conservative Political Action Conference in March 2026, Bo French called for the deportation of 100 million people, representing nearly a third of the United States population.
• ▪During his tenure as Tarrant County GOP chair, Bo French faced condemnation for using slurs on social media and posting an online poll asking if Jews or Muslims posed a bigger threat to America.