# What Texas Railroad Commission voters are choosing > The 2026 race centers on who regulates Texas oil, gas, pipelines and new carbon storage projects. - Title: What Texas Railroad Commission voters are choosing | Shortify - Summary: The 2026 race centers on who regulates Texas oil, gas, pipelines and new carbon storage projects. Despite its name, the Railroad Commission is Texas' energy… - Keywords: texas politics, energy, elections, oil and gas, regulation, news, local, Texas, Railroad, Commission, voters, choosing - Source: The Texas Tribune — https://feeds.texastribune.org/link/16799/17462916/texas-railroad-commission-election-2026-bo-french-jon-rosenthal - Author: María Méndez, Carlos Nogueras Ramos - Published: 2026-09-15T20:14:08+00:00 - Read time: 2 min - Topics: texas politics, energy, elections, oil and gas, regulation, news, local ## Not about railroads The Texas Railroad Commission has not regulated railroads since 2005. It now oversees oil and gas, natural gas facilities, hydrogen, pipelines, and surface mining. > has not regulated railroads since 2005 ## A huge energy job Texas drills more oil and hydrocarbons than all other states combined. The industry employs nearly half a million Texans and sends billions to public budgets. > Texas commands U.S. oil and gas ## The role is growing The agency will oversee new natural gas delivery for data centers, carbon dioxide injection sites, and weather readiness for gas facilities tied to the power grid. ## French leads GOP ticket Bo French, the Republican candidate, chairs the Tarrant County Republican Party and has spent decades investing in energy. His family owns an oil business in Midland. ## French's money picture French reported $223,192 cash on hand and $333,603 raised from Jan. 1 through June 30. Major support included conservative PACs and donors tied to oil interests. ## French's political lane French describes himself as a MAGA Republican. The Tribune notes he has pushed the party right and faced criticism over posts about Jews, Muslims and other groups. > MAGA Republican ## French's policy pitch French says he would end DEI work at the agency, oppose Chinese government influence in oil, promote U.S. ties with Israel, and back a pro-family program for operators. ## French's endorsements French is endorsed by Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, two sitting railroad commissioners, and several oil and gas trade groups. ## Rosenthal enters as Democrat Jon Rosenthal served four terms in the Texas House and worked for more than two decades as an oil field mechanical engineer. ## Rosenthal's money picture Rosenthal reported $167,879 cash on hand and $64,511 raised from Jan. 1 through June 30. Donors listed include Don Henley and the Lone Star Project PAC. ## Rosenthal's regulatory case Rosenthal argues the agency has not enforced its rules enough. He says it should apply current law, measure results, and work with lawmakers on changes. > has not sufficiently enforced its regulations ## Rosenthal's policy list Rosenthal proposes regional community liaisons, more language access, a 24/7 hotline, tighter gas utility review, less flaring, leak detection, and public dashboards. ## Rosenthal's backing Rosenthal is endorsed by the Sierra Club, Texas AFL-CIO, and Hawk Dunlap, a former Republican primary candidate and longtime critic of the agency. ## DiBianca runs Libertarian Arthur DiBianca is the Libertarian candidate. State filings list him as retired, and he has run before for Texas Senate, Congress, and the Texas House. ## DiBianca's platform DiBianca supports free market energy development without subsidies or mandates, competitive pipeline access, property rights, and making operators cover abandoned well costs. > government must be kept to the minimum necessary ## Key takeaway Despite its name, the Railroad Commission is Texas' energy regulator, and the 2026 winner will help oversee oil, gas, pipelines, grid readiness and emerging storage projects.