Texas GOP Faces Internal Strife Amid Controversial Candidate
WHO:
Alternet - Karl Rove, a senior Republican strategist, criticized Bo French and announced he will vote for Jon Rosenthal, a Democrat.
The Guardian - Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Senator John Cornyn also condemned Bo French's comments.
Alternet - Texas GOP strategist Karl Rove, State Attorney General Ken Paxton, Democratic nominee James Talarico, GOP nominee Bo French, Jon Rosenthal, Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows, Senator John Cornyn, Texas Governor Greg Abbott, Republican state senator Lacey Hull, Kevin Eltife (chair of the University of Texas board of regents).
WHAT:
Alternet - Bo French described South Asian students at the University of Texas as "foreigners" who had "displaced" Americans.
The Guardian - French's social media post included a photograph of non-Caucasian students celebrating a football victory, which he framed negatively.
The Guardian - Governor Greg Abbott stated, "That is not my message," regarding French's comments.
Alternet - Bo French posted racist attacks on University of Texas students celebrating a football victory, leading to backlash from within the Republican Party.
The Guardian - Rove announced he would vote for Jon Rosenthal over Bo French, breaking a 32-year streak of voting exclusively for Republicans.
The Guardian - French's social media post included a photograph of non-Caucasian students celebrating, which he framed negatively, claiming it reflected a problem with the university's demographics.
The Guardian - French claimed that "the establishment raised and spent $7 million against me in the primary."
WHERE:
Alternet - Texas, specifically referencing the University of Texas.
The Guardian - Austin, Texas, where Rove made his comments at a private event.
WHEN:
Alternet - The midterm elections are scheduled for 2026.
The Guardian - Rove's comments were made on a Sunday, following French's controversial post.
WHY:
Alternet - The backlash against French's comments is seen as a threat to Texas Republicans' electoral prospects in the midterms.
Alternet - The backlash against French's comments reflects a fracture among Texas Republicans and threatens their electoral prospects.
The Guardian - Rove criticized French's comments as bigotry, stating that the Republican Party should condemn such behavior to avoid becoming a minority party.
HOW:
The Guardian - French attempted to fundraise off his controversial post after receiving criticism.
Alternet - French denied his posts were racist and blamed Republicans who did not support his message.
The Guardian - French attempted to fundraise off his controversial post after receiving criticism.
(UPDATED September 16, 2026 18:01 UTC)
Karl Rove, a senior Republican strategist, has publicly criticized Bo French and announced his support for Democrat Jon Rosenthal, while Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and Senator John Cornyn also condemned French's remarks. French described South Asian students at the University of Texas as "foreigners" who had "displaced" Americans, and his negative framing of a photograph featuring non-Caucasian students celebrating a football victory has drawn significant backlash. In response to the criticism, Governor Greg Abbott stated, "That is not my message," and French has since attempted to fundraise off the controversy surrounding his comments.
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(UPDATED September 16, 2026 14:01 UTC)
In a significant turn of events, Texas GOP strategist Karl Rove announced he would vote for Democratic nominee Jon Rosenthal over GOP nominee Bo French, breaking a 32-year streak of voting exclusively for Republicans. This comes after French faced backlash for posting racist attacks on University of Texas students celebrating a football victory, which he framed negatively while claiming to be a victim of establishment spending against him. Rove criticized French's comments as bigotry, emphasizing the need for the Republican Party to condemn such behavior to avoid becoming a minority party, as the midterm elections approach in 2026.