Democrat Jon Rosenthal wins Texas oil and gas regulator seat

Democrat Jon Rosenthal defeated conservative Republican Bo French in the election to oversee the oil and gas industry in Texas, the Washington Examiner and CBS News reported. Rosenthal, a member of the Texas House of Representatives, secured 52.6% of the vote compared to 45.4% for French. The Associated Press called the race at 3:36 a.m. on Wednesday. [1][8]

The Washington Examiner reported that French lost support from key Republicans because of social media posts that party members called extreme and racist. During his campaign, French campaigned on ideological policies, including a commitment to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion practices within the commission. [1][11]

Rosenthal's victory follows broader Democratic gains across Texas during the midterm elections. AP News and PBS NewsHour reported that Democrat Gina Hinojosa was elected as the first Latina governor of Texas, defeating Republican incumbent Greg Abbott. Additionally, DW and PBS reported that Democrat James Talarico won a US Senate seat in Texas. [2][6][7][9]

Further gains for Democrats in Texas included Johnny Garcia defeating Republican Carlos De La Cruz in the redrawn 35th Congressional District, Fox News reported. France 24 reported that the Democratic Party is set to take control of both the US House and the Senate following major victories in Republican strongholds. [3][5]