Jon Rosenthal, a Democratic state representative from Houston, is facing off against Bo French, a far-right Republican culture warrior from Fort Worth, for a seat on the commission that regulates the oil and gas industry in Texas.
In an interview that preceded the controversy over French’s derogatory social media posts about University of Texas students, Rosenthal shared his vision for the oil and gas regulatory agency and responded to French’s earlier inflammatory attacks on Rosenthal’s heritage.
The Railroad Commission of Texas oversees the vast oil and gas industry, including pipelines, drilling permits, waste disposal and new programs like carbon capture and storage…