A MAGA candidate’s attack on South Asian college students has spectacularly backfired by helping his Democratic opponent rake in a record fundraising haul.
Bo French, 56, the Republican nominee for the powerful Texas Railroad Commission, sparked anger last month when he posted a photograph of students celebrating the University of Texas football team’s victory over Ohio State.
The photo featured South Asian students celebrating in the stands after the Longhorns’ comeback victory, which French suggested demonstrated a wider problem at the university.
“I heard UT graduation this year looked like this. I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” he wrote.
French refused to back down even after fellow Republicans condemned his post and instead tried to turn the furor into a fundraising opportunity.
But that appears to have been a mistake, as new campaign finance filings suggest his opponent, Democratic state Rep. Jon Rosenthal, has benefited more from the controversy. Rosenthal raised $488,000 between July and September, compared with French’s $439,000, according to the Washington Post.
The spike was Rosenthal’s biggest fundraising period since he entered the race last November—and represented a dramatic turnaround from their previous totals.
Before the controversy, French had collected about $2.4 million over the campaign, while Rosenthal had managed just $229,092.
Money flowed to Rosenthal from donors in 49 states, with North Dakota the sole exception. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker contributed $25,000, while roughly 60 percent of Rosenthal’s donations came from thousands of small-dollar donors in Texas, according to the Post.
Rosenthal is a mechanical engineer who has spent decades working in the oil and gas industry. The Railroad Commission, despite its name, regulates Texas’ enormous oil and gas sector rather than its railways.
The backlash against his post crossed party lines, with Republican Sen. John Cornyn condemning French’s rhetoric and veteran GOP strategist Karl Rove saying he would vote for Rosenthal as a result.
The Daily Beast has contacted the French, and Rosenthal campaigns for comment.
