Convenience Big Store: Bitter divide in Texas oil industry emerges during runoff battle

May 8, 2026

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🌧️ Temperature check: High of 76; low of 71. Forecast: Thanks to a stalled frontal boundary, there will be a chance of showers and thunderstorms potentially producing locally heavy rainfall. This sounds familiar.

Good morning, Houston.

Here's what you should know to start your day:

Need to know: Residents of this Houston-area town could soon have an easier time getting around by bike or by walking.
Top of the chart: One of the most-read stories on our site yesterday was columnist Chris Tomlinson's look at why more family doctors are moving to concierge medicine.

Here's the rest of the news.

1

Bo French, at left, is running against incumbent Railroad Commission Chairman Jim Wright, in the May 26 Republican primary runoff elections.

A runoff has sparked a civil war in Texas' oil industry. Here's what's at stake.

Later this month, Bo French will take on incumbent Jim Wright in the GOP primary runoff to lead the Texas Railroad Commission.

Behind the scenes, that's not the only battle going on in this primary.

Wright’s efforts to lead reforms at the agency have not landed well with many small-scale oil companies. A new set of rules governing how oil operators manage onsite waste pits even triggered a lawsuit from one of those small companies against the agency.

The fight against the commission has drawn in oil billionaire and conservative megadonor Tim Dunn. A political action committee affiliated with him has contributed to French’s campaign, filings show. On the other side, big oil companies have thrown their support for Wright.

Amanda Drane has the details on a battle one expert said was a rare occurrence for the industry.

2

Why Houston ISD is cutting jobs and removing uncertified teachers.

Last year, HISD informed around 400 uncertified teachers that they could not return to their roles because they did not make "adequate progress toward certification" within a two-year period.

3

Dallas ISD passed the largest school bond in Texas history. Why couldn't HISD?

Dallas ISD voters overwhelmingly approved a historic $6.2 billion bond this weekend without any meaningful community opposition. It's a stark contrast to Houston ISD's $4.4 billion bond failure.

4

Ken Paxton is investigating Houston districts for Ten Commandments compliance.

The investigation comes after the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in April that the law mandating the display of the text is constitutional after a months-long legal battle spurred by families and advocacy groups.

5

Canvas is down at several Houston-area schools and colleges after cyberattack.

A cybersecurity breach took down the online learning management platform, keeping many area school districts and colleges from accessing the tool used for grading, exams and assignments in the final weeks of the spring semester.

6

Two Texans on a cruise ship before a hantavirus outbreak are asked to monitor for illness.

Health officials said the two individuals are not experiencing symptoms at this time and did not have any contact with those affected by the virus.

7

Houstonians disapprove of ICE and police cooperation, poll shows.

Roughly 70% of residents in the greater Houston area said they disapproved of how ICE is doing its job, according to the survey.

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❓ Question of the Week

Houston City Council has weighed in on Mayor John Whitmire's proposed trash fee. What about you? Here's what a couple of readers said.

"The city’s finances are a mess. They have been for more than a decade. And, yes, 'something' needs to be done. But I don’t know what that 'something' might be. It seems like we’ve gone down this special fee path before. It wasn’t that many years ago that a special fee was levied on taxpayers to cover the cost of needed improvements to address flooding issues along city streets. How did that work out? I know the fees were collected. No doubt about that. But were the needed improvements affected? How’s it going, folks? Can anyone report on that program as we embark on yet another one?" — Gene Fissler

"Missed trash pickups, inconsistent recycling, delayed bulk collection, and almost zero accountability have become normal, yet City Hall thinks the answer to a $150 million deficit in a $7 BILLION with a B, budget is to charge taxpayers even more after already raising water bills. If the city wants to discuss fees, then first prove it can provide dependable service, implement real accountability, and guarantee residents aren’t just funding more waste and mismanagement. Houstonians should not be forced to pay premium prices for bargain-bin service." — David K.

🏀 Sports

Photo by: Sarah Stier, Getty Images

Rockets: Among the main reasons for optimism is that the team still has a sizable group of future first-round picks to work with. Here are the picks Houston has to work with over the next few years.
Cougars: The NCAA basketball tournament's expansion to 76 teams will add more money for schools but the event itself remains special, Kelvin Sampson says.
Golf: Fred Couples and Steve Stricker withdrew but the PGA Tour Champions event in The Woodlands still features several major winners.

🗣️ Opinion

The garbage fee is the least interesting aspect of Mayor Whitmire's budget proposal, writes Bill King.
Whitmire balances his budget on the backs of Houston’s most vulnerable, but there's another way, writes Jordan Thomas, former City Council chief of staff.
"Any congressional district going without representation in Congress for 334 days shouldn’t be tolerated by any party," writes Toy B. Halsey in a letter to the editor.

🍜 Things to do This Weekend

From left, chicken and beef pho are served with a variety of Vietnamese coffees at Di An Pho in Houston, Monday, Aug. 25, 2025.

Photo by: Kirk Sides, Houston Chronicle

In the mood for pho? From local institution Kim Son to new restaurants like Di An Pho in Asiatown, here's where to find the best Vietnamese food in the Houston area.
Go shopping as Black on the Block brings its traveling festival back to Houston at NRG Park.
Around town, Dave Matthews Band, Don Toliver, Panda Fest are some of the live events worth checking out.
On the big and small screens, "Sheep Detectives," "Mortal Kombat II," "Remarkably Bright Creatures," "The Punisher: One Last Kill," and "Omaha" are some of the new films making their debut.

Do you like watching soccer? Do you like making money? How about making money while watching soccer?

If you answered "yes" to all three questions then your ship has come in.

Fox Sports, Fox One and Indeed are looking for one fan to watch every World Cup match from a custom space in New York City for $50,000.

As with most things in life, there is a catch. Whoever gets hired will also have to create social content and interact with people in Times Square, according to a news release. No such thing as free money, you know.