One Race in Texas Has Become a Referendum on Bigotry in the G.O.P.

One of the most closely watched midterm races will not determine who will lead an important swing state. It will not decide the balance of power in Congress. But it could be a bellwether for the future of the Republican Party, and set the contours for acceptable discourse in mainstream politics.

It is the race for the Texas Railroad Commission.

The Republican nominee for the statewide regulatory post is Bo French, who has a history of making racist and bigoted comments. Mr. French recently sparked a national firestorm when he referred to University of Texas students at a football game as a “problem” — simply because they appeared to be of South Asian descent.

Suddenly, an election that is about regulating oil and gas and would normally be a cakewalk for Texas Republicans has divided the party. It has also become a test of whether views once considered extreme within the Republican Party are now acceptable to the state’s voters.

“This race has now become a referendum on tribalism,” said Joe Straus, a Republican who served as speaker of the Texas House of Representatives from 2009 to 2019. “The question is: Are people so loyal to the Republican Party, which hasn’t lost a statewide election in decades, that they’ll support a known racist?”

“I hope that the answer is no,” Mr. Straus said.

Mr. French did not respond to requests for comment.

Stephen K. Bannon, a leading architect of the MAGA movement who has railed against immigration, recently hosted Mr. French on his podcast, “War Room,” and urged viewers to rally around the candidate. “The most important race in this country is Bo French as Railroad Commissioner,” Mr. Bannon said earlier this month at the Young Republicans of Texas convention. “Bo French stands for courage.”

After Mr. French’s post, polls now show a tightening race, within the margin of error.

“It’s a must-win,” said Jon Rosenthal, the Democratic opponent. “There’s so much on the line, and it’s not just the economy and energy infrastructure.”

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