Texas Republicans call for resignation after Tarrant County GOP leader Bo French's social media poll on Jews, Muslims
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and a variety of other Republican Party leaders from Tarrant County are denouncing Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French and urging him to resign after his recent post on X that polled users who posed a bigger threat to the United States - Jews or Muslims.
After an article on the poll was published by the San Antonio Current, French posted that he was referring to the recent victory of Zohran Mamdani in the Democratic Primary for New York City Mayor.
"Some people clearly misunderstood the intent," French said. "The poll has been deleted. I regret posting it. Let me be clear: antisemitism has no place in the Republican Party and if you disagree with me, get out."
Patrick posted on the platform X, "Bo French's words do not reflect my values nor the values of the Republican Party. Antisemitism and religious bigotry have no place in Texas. I am calling for the immediate resignation and replacement of Bo French as Tarrant GOP Chairman."
In response, French posted, "I respect the lieutenant governor and the good work he's doing. I strongly disagree with his assessment of this situation. I have always strongly supported Israel and I'm not resigning."
Republican Congressman Craig Goldman of Fort Worth backed Patrick's statement.
"As a 5th generation Jewish American, I know what anti-semitism looks like," Goldman said on X. "I echo your call for a new GOP leader in Tarrant County."
Other Republican elected officials, like Fort Worth Mayor Mattie Parker, agreed with Patrick.
"Too many examples of Bo French's bigotry and hate," Parker posted on X. "New leadership with Tarrant GOP is a given. Clear the deck."
Tarrant County Commissioner Manny Ramirez said, "There is no place in our movement for hateful rhetoric, including anti-Semitism. Such language only undermines our efforts to build the broad coalitions we need to win elections in a competitive county."
State Senators Phil King and Tan Parker, whose districts include Tarrant County and Rep. Giovanni Capriglione of Southlake also posted similar messages urging French to step down.
A statement from the Texas Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations reads, "A poll asking Americans to choose whether Jews or Muslims are the 'bigger threat' is not only offensive - it's dangerous. We categorically reject this hate and fearmongering."
Former Texas GOP Chair Matt Rinaldi is supporting French.
"I get why CAIR is mad, but not GOP supporters of Israel," Rinaldi said on X. "It was presented poorly. But it was pretty clear the point Bo French was trying to make was the opposite of antisemitic."
Former Tarrant County Democratic Party Chair Allison Campolo, who's running for that position again, said French has a history of making inflammatory statements.
"I would like to see happen the elected Republican officials in Texas, including Dan Patrick, to come out against all of French's previous statements, denounce his behavior in general. I would like the precinct chairs of Tarrant County and the Republican Party to denounce his behavior in general and make a very firm stand that this is not acceptable."
When asked what any county political party could do if they don't like its chair, Campolo said, "It's actually really hard to unseat a sitting chair in Texas, just by the way the election code is written. It might take until the primary election if Bo French doesn't resign himself. Then the Republican Party needs to get their candidate together and run that candidate against him in the primary and get him unseated as soon as possible."
On Monday, CBS News Texas asked French if he's going to resign. He said, "Of course not."
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