Karl Rove said he’ll break 30 years of only supporting Republicans to vote against “bigot” Bo French

Subscribe to The Y’all — a weekly dispatch about the people, places and policies defining Texas, produced by Texas Tribune journalists living in communities across the state.

Karl Rove, former adviser to President George W. Bush and longtime Texas GOP political consultant, said he will vote for Jon Rosenthal, a Houston Democrat running to head the Texas Railroad Commission, after Republican Bo French posted racist comments on Sunday about South Asian students at the University of Texas at Austin.

Rove made the comments at a members-only lunch event at the Headliners Club in Austin, where he called French a “bigot,” according to three attendees to whom The Texas Tribune has granted anonymity to discuss the conversation.

Rove said he has only ever voted for one Democratic candidate, Texas Lt. Gov. Bob Bullock, who was up for reelection in 1994.

Neither Rove nor French were immediately reachable to comment. French came under fire Sunday for sharing a post on X showing a photo of the student section cheering a Texas Longhorn victory against Ohio State, referring to the students as “foreigners” who displaced Americans, without having any information about their status.

“I didn’t believe it. The problem is now obviously far worse than anyone imagined,” French wrote, drawing excoriation from Democrats and Republicans alike, many of whom called on French to delete the post.

Earlier Monday, French doubled down on his comments and said Republicans who criticized him were “less conservative.”

Rove, who teaches graduate students at the university’s school of public affairs, praised one of his students of South Asian descent, calling him one of the more hardworking people he’d taught. The student was a Texan at heart, Rove said, according to the people present for the conversation.

Rove also praised Texas Republicans for decrying French’s comments.

Rove’s comments came amid a fierce election for a seat at the Texas Railroad Commission, the state agency that regulates oil and gas production.

On the campaign trail, French has made culture wars the centerpiece of his message, often making incendiary comments about the LGBTQ+ community and federal immigration policy — issues the Railroad Commission has no jurisdiction to regulate. He has also publicly called for the federal government to deport 100 million people, which is a number that would include American citizens.

Soon after winning the March primary election against Railroad Commissioner Jim Wright, French began attacking Rosenthal for donning a mask on the House floor that read, “Protect trans youth,” in 2021.

Last year, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick called on French to resign from his role as the Tarrant County chair after French published a social media poll asking whether Jews or Muslims were a bigger threat to America.

Patrick then endorsed French’s rival in the Republican primary for the Texas Railroad Commissioner. But the lieutenant governor reportedly changed his stance after French won the primary runoff to be the GOP nominee.

Disclosure: The University of Texas at Austin has been a major financial supporter of The Texas Tribune. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news organization that is funded in part by donations from members, foundations and corporate sponsors. Financial supporters play no role in our journalism. Find a complete list of them and more information about our financial and disclosure policies here.