Opposition to immigration

Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal has won election to the Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas production in the state, defeating Republican Bo French. French, the former Tarrant County GOP chair, faced widespread backlash during the campaign for anti-immigrant, Islamophobic and antisemitic remarks, drawing condemnation from fellow Republicans including Sen. John Cornyn, strategist Karl Rove, and Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, several of whom backed Rosenthal instead. Rosenthal, a mechanical engineer who has served in the Texas House since 2019, campaigned on lowering energy costs and limiting industry donations to commissioners. He joins other incoming Democratic statewide officeholders. Commission members serve six-year terms.

A round of Orlando Sentinel reader letters highlights Florida's Amendment 3 ballot measure, which would reduce ad valorem taxes on homesteaded properties. A Mount Dora city councilman warns that local governments modeling the measure's impact found it would either force cuts to police, fire, libraries, and infrastructure or shift a heavier tax burden onto commercial properties and renters, affecting the state's 411 municipalities and 67 counties.

Other letters address the Florida governor's race, with a writer urging that gubernatorial candidates, including David Jolly, hold a face-to-face debate to let voters compare platforms directly amid disparities in campaign advertising spending. Additional letters reflect sharply divided national political sentiment, invoking historical warnings about silence in the face of rhetoric targeting immigrants and minorities, while another letter expresses support for current immigration enforcement and economic conditions. Together the letters illustrate the range of local and national issues shaping voter sentiment ahead of Florida's elections, with Amendment 3's fiscal consequences a key point of contention for municipalities statewide.

Bo French, the Republican nominee for Texas Railroad Commissioner, sparked bipartisan backlash after posting on social media about Asian American students cheering at a University of Texas football game following a comeback win over Ohio State, calling them "foreigners" and saying they showed how "Americans have been displaced by foreigners." Two students identified in the photo, Dhairya Gupta and Rahul Kodali, said they are U.S. citizens and called the post racist; Gupta said the incident showed racism "isn't looked down upon as much as it used to be." UT Austin enrollment data show international students make up less than 10% of the student body, with Asian students, mostly U.S. citizens or permanent residents, accounting for about 22.4% of enrollment. French has refused to delete the posts, denied regret when asked directly, and said "Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth," using the controversy for fundraising.

U.S. Sen. John Cornyn condemned the posts as racist, warning that tolerating such intolerance is "how great political parties self-destruct," and Rep. Dan Crenshaw also criticized French. Texas House Speaker Dustin Burrows and GOP representatives including Jared Patterson, Jeff Leach, Matt Shaheen, and Lacey Hull called on French to delete the posts, while former Speaker Dade Phelan called him "unfit for office." Gov. Greg Abbott said the message wasn't his but stopped short of directly condemning French, instead touting support for freezing H-1B visas at universities; he has since endorsed French, as has Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Attorney General Ken Paxton, facing a Senate primary challenge from Democrat James Talarico, deflected criticism onto Talarico rather than address French's remarks. French previously faced calls to resign as county chair over a poll on Jews versus Muslims.

A recent Berkeley IGS/Los Angeles Times poll shows Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton with support from 37% of California voters, trailing Democrat Xavier Becerra, the former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary, who holds 55%. About 7% remain undecided. The two are set to meet in their first debate on September 30 in Los Angeles, televised on CNN, which could shift the current standing.

Hilton, a former strategist for ex-British Prime Minister David Cameron and a Brexit supporter, has never held elected office and only became a U.S. citizen in 2021 after relocating to California in 2012. He has received an endorsement from President Donald Trump, whose immigration policies contrast with Hilton's own background as the son of Hungarian refugees. Despite trailing significantly, Hilton is seen as outperforming typical Republican prospects in heavily Democratic California, where registered Republicans make up about 25% of voters compared to 45% who are Democrats. Polling could shift meaningfully once debate performances are factored in.