Tarrant GOP chair faces backlash from fellow party members following inflammatory post
Tarrant County Republican Chairman Bo French is not one to shy away from pushing buttons on social media, but a poll he posted on X this week may have gone a bit too far for some in his own party.
“If you believe Kamala’s policies are better for Americans than Trump’s policies, you are:” he posted on Monday, Oct. 28.
Poll takers had four choices: “Ignorant; A liar; Retarded; Gay.”
The post received criticism in the comments section, and by Tuesday, French had deleted it from his feed.
But the backlash continued, with one Republican precinct chair calling for his resignation in an email to her peers that was leaked on Wednesday.
“I stand alongside numerous precinct chairs in the Tarrant County Republican Party, disturbed by Chairman French’s consistent disparaging remarks about women, public berating of those in the gay community, and recent outright vile and dehumanizing language of those with special needs,” said Republican precinct chair Sheena Rodriguez in the email.
Rodriguez confirmed on Thursday, Oct. 31, that she wrote and sent the email, but did not intend for it to be made public. The email first appeared on the X account for the conservative news site Current Revolt on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
Rodriguez declined to comment further on the matter until after the Nov. 5 election.
French’s “constant disturbing social media posts and public comments” do not represent the values of the Republican party, Rodriguez wrote before calling on him to resign from his position after Election Day.
“Conservative members, supporters, and constituents of Tarrant County GOP deserve a new, humble, respectful, and productive leader — one who is capable of being a decent human being laser-focused on improving the county party, drawing new members and voters to the party, and promoting the conservative movement rather than hindering it,” she wrote.
Several other Tarrant County Republican precinct chairs contacted by the Star-Telegram declined to comment, but other party members made their opinions known online.
French did not respond to a request for comment, but he did make statements elsewhere on X that appeared to reference the backlash to Monday’s post.
“Democrats want to sterilize your kids. They want to kill your lineage. But words. Ohhhhh Nooooo,” he posted later on Monday, Oct. 28. “News flash. We are in the fight for actual survival. Try not to get distracted by words.”
“As a conservative, I am not distracted by words, I am just annoyed by morons,” replied Paul Alvarado, chair of the Keller Republican Club.
In a subsequent reply, Alvarado clarified that he was referring to the polling post that got French in hot water.
“Absolutely ridiculous. We are supposed to be leaders showing all a path to joining our side and our cause, not making them question our intent and our intellect with childish games,” he said.
Texas Tribune reporter Robert Downen compiled these and other criticisms from members of French’s party in a post on X on Wednesday, Oct. 30.
“Keep it classy Bo French,” said Republican precinct chair Elva Camacho in a Facebook post on Oct. 28. “Ridiculous!! I work with Special Ed kiddos, not cool!! Shame on whoever thinks this is ok!”
Downen’s post on X also included a screenshot of a Facebook comment from former Republican precinct chair Stacy Reddy on a thread that has since been made private. In the comment, Reddy said she stepped down from her precinct chair position because of French and his comments about women’s roles in society and members of the gay community.
French responded by quoting an email which he did not produce, but in which he said that Reddy stated she stepped down for health reasons.
“I’m disappointed with Bo French’s performance,” Reddy said in a phone interview. “I’m disappointed in him demeaning people. He does not represent the Republican Party.”
The Star-Telegram reached out to former Tarrant GOP chairs Rick Barnes, who is on the Nov. 5 ballot for county tax assessor-collector, and Tim O’Hare, who now serves as county judge. Neither responded to a request for comment.
Others in the party came to French’s defense online. In an emailed response to Rodriguez’s leaked email, fellow Republican precinct chair Larry Carpenter called her an “IDIOT, PERIOD,” and advised her to switch parties.
“All of this evidence you sent to me above is gay, retarded, ignorant and waste everyones time as it truly is a joke,” he wrote.
Carpenter declined to comment further when reached by phone.
Carlos Turcios, a Republican precinct chair who writes for the website The Dallas Express, commented on Current Revolt’s tweet, saying, “Not appropriate to create fights within the party a week before election day. Not good.”
Turcios did not respond to a request for comment.
Despite the backlash and his removal of the post that sparked it, French appeared to refer to it in another post on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in which he shared a Daily Mail article about a Democrat who was arrested on charges he threatened to shoot presidential candidate Donald Trump.
“So what category that I have discussed does this Dem voter fall under?” he wrote.
