How might the growing public backlash against data center expansion unexpectedly sway the outcome of a major statewide election?

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A backlash against data centers could matter by moving a small but decisive slice of voters in a very close race, especially in Texas suburbs and rural areas where many residents worry about water use, electric bills, grid reliability, traffic, noise and loss of farmland. That matters because the Texas Senate race is already tight. Public polling has shown James Talarico and Ken Paxton separated by only a few points, with a meaningful share of undecided voters still available. In that kind of contest, even limited ticket-splitting or lower enthusiasm among normally reliable Republican-leaning voters could change the result. The issue is unusually broad. Recent Texas polling found roughly six in 10 voters oppose data centers in or near their communities, with especially strong resistance in rural and suburban areas. Those are not fringe constituencies; they are core parts of the statewide electorate. Research also shows skepticism extends beyond land use concerns to wider unease about artificial intelligence and whether ordinary Texans, rather than corporations, will bear the costs. The political risk is that data centers turn into a proxy for a larger message about affordability and responsiveness. If voters connect them to higher utility costs, strained water supplies and perceived favoritism toward large companies, candidates seen as too aligned with rapid expansion could lose support among independents and some conservatives. In a race where Senate control may hinge on on…

Thune Urges Trump to Deploy $400 Million for Paxton as Texas Senate Race Tightens

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Thune Urges Trump to Deploy $400 Million for Paxton as Texas Senate Race Tightens

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