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Bo French is the Republican nominee for the Texas Railroad Commission in the November 3, 2026 election. Again and again, he has attacked Islam and the Muslim Americans who live in this state. He said it on stage, he said it in interviews, and he said it online. He has said “the problem is actually Islam.” He has said Muslims in Texas “are taking over.” He has said Republicans should more openly embrace Islamophobia. On this page, you can read his own words. Every claim links to its original source, so you can check each one yourself.
Quick answer
At a March 27, 2026 CPAC panel in Grapevine, Bo French said Republicans should more openly embrace Islamophobia and argued that the problem was Islam rather than Sharia. This page collects the relevant remarks, original-source material, and reporting about his statements concerning Muslims and Islam.
On March 27, 2026, French took the stage at CPAC Texas in Grapevine, on a panel with a title that told you where it was going: “Don't Sharia My Texas.”
Here is what he said:
“I'm going to say something that's going to make some people uncomfortable: The problem is, we call it Sharia [law], but the problem is actually Islam.”
And he kept going:
“If they can infiltrate Texas and conquer Texas, then what's going to happen? They're going to be able to control the United States.”
The Texas Tribune, which covered the panel, reported that he also told the audience Republicans should more openly embrace Islamophobia. Not hide it. Embrace it.
In an interview at the same conference, French was asked about being labeled an Islamophobe. His answer? He “doesn't care.” He went on to say that Muslims coming into Texas “are taking over,” and he called it “part of their global jihad.”
In June 2025, while he was chairman of the Tarrant County Republican Party, French posted a poll on X asking his followers exactly that question.
The backlash came from his own party. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called for his immediate resignation, writing: “Antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas.” Fort Worth Congressman Craig Goldman, Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, and Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez all joined the condemnation. These are Republicans, criticizing their own county chairman.
French deleted the poll and said he regretted posting it. But he refused to resign.
Step back and look at who these statements are aimed at. Muslim Texans are doctors, teachers, small business owners, and veterans. They are neighbors and families who have built their lives in this state. So when French says these Texans should “go home,” for most of them, home is Texas.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations answered his CPAC remarks with one plain sentence:
“Muslim Texans are not a threat.”
The Railroad Commission regulates Texas oil and gas, the industry that funds a significant share of the state budget. French has promised to purge it of “radical Islamists.” Think about what that means in practice. His statements about Muslims are not a side story to his campaign. They are the record voters can examine before handing him statewide power.
Islam itself. His words at CPAC Texas on March 27, 2026: “we call it Sharia [law], but the problem is actually Islam.”
Yes. After his X poll asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and other Texas Republican leaders publicly called for his resignation. He refused.
He has said Muslims in Texas “are taking over” and should “go home,” and he has promised to purge the Railroad Commission of “radical Islamists.”
The Texas Railroad Commission, which regulates oil and gas. Election Day is November 3, 2026.