Bo French Challenges Jim Wright in May 26 Texas Oil Regulator GOP Runoff
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · May 14
Bo French Challenges Jim Wright in May 26 Texas Oil Regulator GOP Runoff
4 articles · Updated · The New York Times · May 14
May 26 will decide whether Bo French can unseat Texas Railroad Commission Chairman Jim Wright in a Republican runoff for one of the state’s most powerful energy oversight posts.
French has emerged as a viable challenger with backing from billionaire oilmen, Attorney General Ken Paxton and Steve Bannon, turning a once-marginal far-right figure into a statewide contender.
Wright enters the runoff with support from Gov. Greg Abbott, other top Texas Republicans and major energy companies, setting up a clash between business-backed incumbency and an “America First” insurgency.
The race has become a test of the Texas GOP’s direction because the commission regulates the oil and gas industry at the center of both the state economy and the broader U.S. energy system.
How will the new RRC chair tackle the billion-dollar problem of unreported methane waste in Texas's oilfields?
Can the winner turn millions of barrels of toxic oilfield wastewater into a new water source for a thirsty Texas?