Texas Democrats see data centers as a winning issue
Rural Texas voters' opposition pushed GOP governor to back off from his support.
asserted
opposition → see → support
Rural Texas voters have overwhelmingly backed Republicans for decades, but this year Democrats are hoping that voter opposition to data centers could give them a chance to unseat the Republican governor.
uncertain
opposition → back → governor
The Democratic candidate in that race, state Rep. Gina Hinojosa, has made opposition to data center construction a central part of her race against Gov. Greg Abbott.
asserted
opposition → make → Abbott
That race has become competitive for a state that hasn't elected a Democratic governor since Ann Richards in 1990.
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that → become → 1990
ABC News ranks the race as Lean Republican.
asserted
News → rank → Republican
Hinojosa told ABC she didn't expect this issue to be so central to her campaign "but the thing about the data centers is it's a physical manifestation of a government, a governor during doing the bidding of the moneyed interests and leaving the people to fend for themselves ... it's also told the story of a larger problem in Texas."
asserted
it → tell → Texas
Hinojosa supports a moratorium on new construction, stricter regulations on water and power usage and an end to tax breaks.
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Hinojosa → support → breaks
She has criticized Abbott for signing tax breaks for data centers and promoting the industry's growth.
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She → criticize → growth
Abbott once said he wanted Texas to be the "epicenter" of the industry.
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Texas → say → industry
Hinojosa says that she has gained support with rural Republican voters who have lost faith in the governor on the issue.
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who → say → issue
Several rural counties in Texas have sued to stop data center construction, citing concerns about pollution, water usage, and loss of family farmland.
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counties → sue → farmland
An ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos poll conducted earlier this month found that in 69% of Texans oppose new data center construction in their communities.
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% → conduct → communities
For his part, Abbott announced a moratorium on new data center construction in rural communities in September and said he supports more stringent requirements on power and water use by the centers.
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he → announce → centers
He told ABC News, "When rural Texans know the detailed strategy that I have, they are coming to my side."
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they → tell → side
Republican Agriculture Commissioner Sid Miller, who lost his re-election bid to a challenger backed by Abbott, called those promises from the governor "smoke and mirrors."
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who → lose → governor
He said that voter voters' attitudes about data centers "will cost [Abbott] support because he's wrong on the issue.
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he → say → issue
He's not listening to the people.
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He → listen → people
He's listening to his donors."
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He → listen → donors
Abbott press secretary Eduardo Leal told ABC News, "Governor Abbott has the strongest data center guardrails in the country.
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Abbott → tell → country
Sid Miller is a sore loser and has no idea what he's talking about."
Miller says he will not vote for Abbott or Nate Sheets, the Republican who beat him in the primary for agriculture commissioner.
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who → have → commissioner
He cites policy on data centers as one of the reasons.
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He → cite → reasons
When asked if he planned to vote for the Democrats in those races, Miller said, "That's between me and God, and it's going to stay that way."
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it → ask → me
Another lifelong Republican told ABC News he planned to cast his first vote for a Democrat this year because of his stance on data centers.
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he → tell → centers
Daniel McCoslin, a Marine Corps veteran living in Centerville in southeastern Texas, says a planned data center near his family's farm mobilized him to vote against Abbott, saying, "He needs to go."
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He → live → Abbott
He described his decision to switch his vote as a tough one saying, "I ate the cat turd instead of the dog turd."
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I → describe → turd
One Republican warned that the backlash over data centers might be an overreaction that could hurt rural communities.
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that → warn → communities
Railroad Commissioner Wayne Christian, who serves on the body that regulates Texas' energy industry and is not up for re-election this year, argues that data centers provide jobs and revenue to parts of the state that are struggling, saying, "rural Texas is in trouble ...
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Texas → serve → trouble
The money is moving out, and the population is going down."
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population → move → ?
Christian blames the voter backlash on outside sources like China and Democratic Sen. Bernie Sanders, saying that Texans have "been lied to.
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Texans → blame → China
They've been told half-truths, or they've been told only the problems."
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they → tell → problems
But even he admits this is the issue that could decide the midterms for his party: "The entire swing vote is rural Texas."
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vote → admit → party
The Aporia
