Cornyn says he will not vote for French, calling him "an embarrassment to the Republican Party"
John CornynUnited States Senator for Texas, in comments to the Washington Examiner and on his own account on X
Four days after first condemning the post, Senator John Cornyn told the Washington Examiner that he would not vote for Bo French, the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission, describing him as an embarrassment to the party whose racist comments would damage the wider ticket. Asked whether he would vote for the Democratic nominee instead, Cornyn said "I may just leave it blank." He also posted that the Republican Party "is better than this" and should condemn the bigotry "or we will soon find ourselves a minority party."
“He's an embarrassment to the Republican Party, and he's going to drag the whole ticket down because of his racist comments.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Was Bo French’s UT Austin post racist?
After the University of Texas football team’s September 12, 2026 comeback win over Ohio State, Republican Railroad Commission nominee Bo French posted a still image of apparent South Asian fans and called what it showed a “problem.” He later said social media was exposing Americans being displaced by foreigners and accused UT of prioritizing foreigners over Texans. French and several supporters framed the posts as a legitimate criticism of immigration and admissions policy. Republican and Democratic officials, along with other commentators, condemned the use of the fans’ appearance as racist or xenophobic. Governor Greg Abbott rejected French’s interpretation of the image while reaffirming support for restrictive immigration policies.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
Records the point at which Cornyn moved from condemning French's post to refusing to vote for him. Asked whether he would instead vote for the Democratic nominee Jon Rosenthal, Cornyn said "I may just leave it blank." The article notes the Republican Party of Texas did not respond to a request for comment and that French's campaign also did not respond. Karl Rove separately said he would not vote for French.
Before the quotation
Cornyn condemned the post on September 13 and asked whether other Republicans would condemn it or look the other way, then criticised French on September 15 for doubling down and fundraising rather than apologising.
After the quotation
No Republican who endorsed French has rescinded that endorsement. Karl Rove separately said he would vote for the Democrat, Jon Rosenthal. The Texas Oil and Gas Association's political action committee, which endorsed French days before the post, condemned it on September 17.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Cornyn describes the posts as racist comments and withdraws his vote from the party's own nominee over them, which is condemnation of the conduct carried into action. The closest competing label is minimizes, on the reading that framing the objection around electoral damage to the ticket treats the post as a tactical problem rather than a wrong. That loses because he names the comments as racist rather than merely inconvenient, and elsewhere in the same remarks calls it bigotry the party must condemn on principle. This is his third recorded statement on the case and is filed separately because it marks a change in position, from criticism to refusal of support.
- Recorded on
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- People and groups discussed
- Bo French
More from this case
Read the full caseRosenthal calls donations a rejection of French
“The people are rejecting this bold, racist campaign of his.”Read statement
Krishnamoorthi calls French’s UT fan post a xenophobic attack
“The Department of Education seems to be playing dog whistles to Bo French’s tune just days after his xenophobic attack on South Asian students for cheering for their own college football team. South Asian Americans are as American as anyone.”Read statement
French says his UT fan posts were about culture, not race
“It’s fair to say that Texas doesn’t look and feel like it did when I was a kid, and that’s not racist.”Read statement
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- Cornyn says he will not vote for French, calling him "an embarrassment to the Republican Party"
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The Dispute Index. "Cornyn says he will not vote for French, calling him "an embarrassment to the Republican Party"". First published: 2026-09-18. Last updated: 2026-09-22. https://disputeindex.com/events/1068-four-days-after-first-condemning-the-post-senator