2026 Texas Railroad Commissioner election
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November 3, 2026
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| Elections in Texas |
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 Government |
The 2026 Texas Railroad Commissioner election will be held on November 3, 2026, to elect a member of the Texas Railroad Commission. Incumbent Republican commissioner Jim Wright ran for re-election to a second six-year term but was defeated by Bo French in the Republican primary. He was first elected in 2020 with 53% of the vote.
Republican primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Bo French, former chair of the Tarrant County Republican Party[1]
Eliminated in runoff
- Jim Wright, incumbent Railroad Commissioner[2]
Eliminated in primary
Endorsements
Katherine Culbert
- Newspapers
Hawk Dunlap
Bo French
- State legislators
- Matt Krause, Tarrant County commissioner (2025–present) and former HD-93 (2013–2023)[9]
- David Lowe, HD-91 (2025–present)[9]
- Brent Money, HD-2 (2025–present)[9]
- Nate Schatzline, HD-93 (2023–present)[9]
- Steve Toth, HD-15 (2013–2015, 2019–present) and Republican nominee for TX-2 in 2026[9]
- Local officials
- Tim O'Hare, judge of Tarrant County (2023–present)[9]
- Individuals
- Brandon Herrera, YouTuber and Republican nominee for TX-23 in 2026[9]
- Organizations
Jim Wright
- Statewide officials
- Greg Abbott, governor of Texas (2015–present)[9]
- Dawn Buckingham, land commissioner of Texas (2023–present)[10]
- Wayne Christian, railroad commissioner of Texas (2017–present)[10]
- Christi Craddick, railroad commissioner of Texas (2012–present)[10]
- Dan Patrick, Lieutenant Governor of Texas (2015–present)[11]
- State legislators
- Rep. Drew Darby, HD-72 (2007–present)[9]
- Rep. Jeff Leach, HD-67 (2013–present)[9]
- Rep. Jared Patterson, HD-106 (2019–present)[9]
- Sen. Charles Perry, Senate pro tempore (2025–present) from SD-28 (2014–present)[9]
- Local officials
- Mattie Parker, mayor of Fort Worth (2021–present)[9]
- Organizations
First round
Results
Wright
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
French
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Matlock
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
Dunlap
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Wright (incumbent) | 620,959 | 32.1 | |
| Republican | Bo French | 614,178 | 31.7 | |
| Republican | James Matlock | 373,047 | 19.3 | |
| Republican | Katherine Culbert | 178,175 | 9.2 | |
| Republican | Hawk Dunlap | 148,303 | 7.7 | |
| Total votes | 1,934,672 | 100.0 | ||
Runoff
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Jim Wright |
Bo French |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Houston[13] | April 28 – May 1, 2026 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.83% | 35% | 28% | – | 37% |
Results
French
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
Wright
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
- 80–90%
Tie
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bo French | 664,425 | 50.6 | |
| Republican | Jim Wright (incumbent) | 649,811 | 49.4 | |
| Total votes | 1,314,236 | 100.0 | ||
Democratic primary
Candidates
Nominee
- Jon Rosenthal, state representative from the 135th district (2019–present)[2]
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Jon Rosenthal | 1,907,233 | 100.0 | |
| Total votes | 1,907,233 | 100.0 | ||
Third-party and independent candidates
Candidates
Declared
- Arthur DiBianca (Libertarian)[14]
General election
Post-primary endorsements
Bo French (R)
- Statewide officials
- Greg Abbott, governor of Texas (2015–present)[10]
- Dawn Buckingham, land commissioner of Texas (2023–present)[10]
- Wayne Christian, railroad commissioner of Texas (2017–present)[10]
- Christi Craddick, railroad commissioner of Texas (2012–present)[10]
- Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor of Texas (2015–present) [15]
Jon Rosenthal (D)
- Individuals
- Hawk Dunlap, oilman and former Republican candidate for this seat [16]
- Labor unions
- Organizations
Declined to endorse
- Statewide officials
Dan Patrick, lieutenant governor of Texas (2015–present)[10] (switched endorsement to French)[15]
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Bo French (R) |
Jon Rosenthal (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas Southern University[21] | July 27–30, 2026 | 1,200 (LV) | ± 2.8% | 44% | 41% | 2%[b] | 13% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Bo French | |||
| Democratic | Jon Rosenthal | |||
| Libertarian | Art DiBianca | |||
| Total votes | ||||
See also
Notes
References
- ↑ Serrano, Alejandro (November 12, 2025). "Tarrant County GOP Chair Bo French announces run for Texas Railroad Commission". Texas Tribune. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- 1 2 Serrano, Alejandro (September 29, 2025). "Democratic Rep. Jon Rosenthal will run for Texas Railroad Commission". The Texas Tribune. Retrieved October 1, 2025.
- 1 2 Norton, Hannah (January 16, 2026). "Q&A: Get to know the Republican primary candidates for Texas railroad commissioner". Community Impact. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ Taft, Molly (December 8, 2025). "The Well Watchers". Mother Jones. Retrieved December 8, 2025.
- ↑ Editorial Board (February 9, 2026). "We recommend in the Republican primary for Railroad Commissioner". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Dunlap brings outsider voice the Texas Railroad Commission needs". Austin American-Statesman. February 4, 2026. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ Editorial Board (February 10, 2026). "Hawk Dunlap in the Republican primary for Railroad Commissioner". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Hawk Dunlap, with 30-plus years in oil and gas, our GOP pick for Railroad Commission". San Antonio Express-News. February 12, 2026. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 Nogueras Ramos, Carlos; Méndez, María (April 28, 2026). "Texas Railroad Commission GOP runoff: Who is running and what to know". ksat.com. Retrieved May 3, 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Greg Abbott and other Republicans back Bo French after warning he'd 'wreck' Texas oil and gas". Houston Chronicle. May 29, 2026. Retrieved May 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Dan Patrick picks sides in Texas attorney general, Railroad Commission GOP runoffs". The Texas Tribune. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 28, 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Primary Election Endorsements". Texas Alliance for Life. Retrieved March 1, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas Republican Primary Runoff Elections 2026" (PDF). University of Houston. May 5, 2026. Retrieved May 5, 2026.
- ↑ Schmidt, Nolan. "9 Libertarians vie for state seats in November election". seguingazette.com. Retrieved January 28, 2026.
- 1 2 "A year after demanding his resignation, Patrick backs Bo French for Texas Railroad Commission". The Dallas Morning News. June 3, 2026. Retrieved June 15, 2026.
- ↑ Dunlap, Hawk (June 25, 2026). "I ran as a Republican for railroad commissioner. Here's why I'm voting for the Democrat". Houston Chronicle. Retrieved June 29, 2026.
- ↑ "Texas AFL-CIO COPE Announces 2026 General Election Pro-Worker Endorsements". Texas AFL-CIO. 9 April 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "314 Action Fund Endorses 59 Downballot Pro-Science Candidates for Election in 2026". 3.14 Action. 14 January 2026. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Endorsements". Center for Freethought Equality. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "2026 Endorsements". Sierra Club TTG. Retrieved 28 May 2026.
- ↑ "Texas 2026: U.S. Senate, Governor, and Other Statewide Races" (PDF). Texas Southern University. Retrieved August 4, 2026.
External links
Official campaign websites