Railroad Commissioner

Statewide

Bo French won the May 26 Republican runoff over incumbent James Wright after a tight five-way primary. Jon Rosenthal, a Houston state representative, ran unopposed for Democrats. No major handicapper rates the race; the rating reflects Texas's structural lean (the office has been Republican since 1994).

Incumbent: James Wright(R)

Primary, Mar 3, 2026GOP runoff likely

Despite the name, regulates Texas's oil, gas, and mining industries, not railroads. Oversees an industry producing 43% of U.S. crude oil, sets drilling permits, pipeline safety rules, and environmental standards.

Runoff result

Railroad Commissioner

Primary Runoff

Called

Bo French

50.6%

663,679 votes

James Wright(i)

49.4%

648,978 votes

Updated May 27, 10:33 PM CT·TX SOS

March primary result

Railroad Commissioner

Primary Results

Called · 100% reporting

R runoff

D nominee set

Republican Primary

James Wright(i)

32.1%

621,421 votes

Advancing to runoff

Bo French

31.7%

614,457 votes

Advancing to runoff

James Matlock

19.3%

373,297 votes

Katherine Culbert

9.2%

178,329 votes

Hawk Dunlap

7.7%

148,468 votes

Democratic Nominee · November

Decided

Jon Rosenthal

100.0%

1,907,233 votes

Updated Mar 21, 9:56 PM CT·TX SOS·Called by AP

Polls vs. Results

Republican Primary

Biggest miss: James Wright, polls were off by 11.1 points

Source:UH Hobby School, TX Secretary of State

Prediction vs. reality, poll predictions compared to actual results
Candidate	Party	Poll prediction (%)	Actual result (%)	Difference
James Wright	Republican	21%	32.1%	+11.1
Bo French	Republican	No poll data	31.7%	N/A
James Matlock	Republican	20%	19.3%	-0.7
Katherine Culbert	Republican	8%	9.2%	+1.2
Hawk Dunlap	Republican	No poll data	7.7%	N/A