Commission Shift Action

This weekend, Bo French, one of the candidates running for Railroad Commissioner, saw a picture of UT Austin students celebrating at a football game and decided to make a racist social media post about it.

Check your voter status today. Show Bo French that we deserve elected commissioners who possess not only technical knowledge of the issues, but also insight and compassion into the ways these issues affect real people — including the disproportionate impacts communities bear based on discrimination.

These two articles highlight the importance of the Railroad Commission of Texas and the upcoming election for the next commissioner. We hope you use this information when you cast your ballot this fall, and that you tell your friends in Texas about the Railroad Commissioner race too.

And, if you haven’t yet, please consider making a gift to help us keep educating Texans and our decision makers in Austin about solutions to prevent oil and gas leaks and pollution. Thank you for your support!

There's a lot at stake this November: the upcoming election for Railroad Commissioner will have huge effects on the oil and gas industry in Texas. And if candidate Bo French wins, we could see the repeal of the first waste pits reforms we've received in over 30 years.

But with your help, we can protect our water and our communities — join us today with your donation: https://commissionshiftaction.org/donate

Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French once again made inflammatory comments following the landmark Supreme Court case decision to uphold birthright citizenship.

Texas, help us reject this bigoted grab for the Commissioner’s seat at the ballot box. Join us today: https://commissionshiftaction.org/?form=CSAGOF

“This tactic that … French’s campaign is using is basically to distract and to rile up a voter based on issues that are of absolutely no importance to the Railroad Commission, just so that the (oil and gas) industry can have its favorite candidate in office,” said Virginia Palacios, executive director at Commission Shift Action, a nonprofit and offshoot of the oil and gas watchdog group.

Read more: https://www.texastribune.org/2026/06/30/bo-french-decries-birthright-citizenship-ruling/

Commission Shift Action does not endorse or oppose candidates for office, but we will be posting regular updates like these related to this year's RRC election.

From the Houston Chronicle: "I’m not asking you to change who you are or how you see yourself. I’m not asking you to vote against your conscience on anything else on your ballot. I’m asking you to look at this one office for what it actually is — a technical, regulatory job with life-and-death consequences — and put the most qualified person in the seat."

Read more: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/opinion/outlook/article/railroad-commission-hawk-dunlap-jon-rosenthal-22317686.php

Commission Shift Action does not endorse or oppose candidates for office, but we will be posting regular updates like these related to this year's RRC election.

🛢️📣 📰 Important statement from Commission Shift Action!! 📰 📣 🛢️

We are in a unique moment in the history of the Railroad Commission. After winning the Republican primary runoffs, Bo French is the Republican candidate for Railroad Commissioner. French ran a campaign based on fear-mongering and religious intolerance, and he has demonstrated he lacks true empathy or respect for the people and places of Texas.

So what do we do in this pivotal moment? Texans must reject candidates who use bigotry to win power, and we need to educate our decision-makers about policy changes that will clean up oil and gas and hold operators accountable.

These measures take an extraordinary amount of grassroots effort and support. We ask that you make a gift to Commission Shift Action so we can meet this historic moment and mitigate harm.

Join us today: https://commissionshiftaction.org/?form=CSAGOF

Bigotry and fearmongering have no place in political campaigns.

At Commission Shift Action, we believe in a state oil and gas agency that prioritizes the needs of Texans and our environment. By relying on a political playbook that divides Texans and stokes fear, Railroad Commissioner candidate Bo French’s campaign distracts from the oil and gas issues that directly impact us.

Read our full statement: https://commissionshiftaction.org/news/railroad-commission-has-nothing-to-do-with-trains-or-religion/

The interim between legislative sssions is critical. It’s when ideas are planted, refined, and strengthened. Your support keeps us in the Capitol, building momentum, and advocating for the protections Texans deserve.

Join us by donating today: https://commissionshiftaction.org/?form=CSAGOF