Opposition to data center development has become a midterm election issue. Gov. Greg Abbott, a Republican running for reelection against Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico, halted new data center permits while the state conducts energy and water audits, reversing prior support.
Where
Texas, statewide
When
October 2026
Sources
Reported by 2 outlets
Taxes and money
None stated in sources.
Who's involved
Greg AbbottRepublican governor running for reelection in Texas
James TalaricoDemocratic state lawmaker running against Abbott
Darrell WestSenior fellow at Brookings Institution's Center for Technology Innovation
Steve RattnerDemocratic strategist
The facts
Gov. Abbott halted new data center permits while state conducts energy and water audits.2
Seventy-five percent of planned data center construction is in red states, excluding Virginia.2
Sixty-six percent of planned data centers nationally are in red states.2
Fifty-six percent of currently operating data centers are in blue states.2
Who said what
These are statements and claims made by the people involved. They are reported, not verified.
Data center companies Projects boost local tax base and provide economic development.2
Darrell West, Brookings Institution Communities no longer accept that argument and want companies to pay for right to build.2
Darrell West, Brookings Institution Both Republicans and Democrats are worried about data centers.2
How they headlined it
The same event, as each outlet put it. Marked words appear in only one outlet's headline.
The Four Places Where the Midterms Will Decide the Fate of Data Centers
These outlets were found through Google News headlines. Google decides which outlets appear there, and they lean mostly one way, so this sheet can only be as balanced as the reporting it was built from. Leanings are AllSides Media Bias Ratings.
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