Commissioners of the state agency overseeing the oil and gas industry in Texas, the largest in the U.S., will include a Democrat for the first time since 1992.

Jon Rosenthal, state legislator and former oilfield engineer for 25 years, beat Bo French, a Fort Worth Republican, with 52.5 percent of the vote, according to the Texas Tribune. Rosenthal's election will create a 2-1 split among Republicans and Democrats on the three-member Texas Railroad Commission, a confusingly named regulatory agency that has nothing to do with railroads.

Rosenthal had campaigned on a platform of affordable energy, creating a more responsive Railroad Commission, and holding data centers accountable for their power and water use. French’s racist social media posts about students at a University of Texas football game earned condemnation from some in his own party and helped propel the race into the national spotlight.

Oil and gas industry associations and campaign donors had favored French to win, according to Commission Shift, a nonpartisan Texas oil and gas watchdog group.

“Texans who showed up in this race care deeply about our land, water, and health — and what we’re building for future generations,” said Virginia Palacios, Commission Shift’s executive director.