Texas Republicans Dig in on Opposition to Data Centers: Poll

President Trump and Texas Governor Greg Abbott have staked out different positions on the data center debate, and new polling suggests that Abbott is on the right side of the issue politically, at least when it comes to the Lone Star state.

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While Trump bangs the drum for data center development, warning Americans who refuse to embrace the industry that they’ll be left behind, Abbott has staked out a more cautious position, issuing a moratorium earlier this month on new data center development until audits of all pending projects can be conducted.

A new poll conducted by Overton Insights/Texas Public Policy Foundation and shared exclusively with National Review suggests Abbott is on to something: Nearly half of Texas Republican primary voters, 47.8 percent, either strongly or somewhat support a total ban on data center construction in their local communities, compared to just 41.6 percent who oppose a ban.

Even if they receive assurances that the data centers will be required to fund their own electrical infrastructure, use limited water, and prevent noise pollution, 45.3 percent of Texas Republicans would still oppose data center construction in their communities, compared to 47.1 percent who would be supportive of the construction.

The trends are more pronounced among Texas Democrats, 67.3 percent of whom support a total ban on data center construction in their local communities.

The national debate over data center construction has taken on a special intensity in Texas, which, prior to Abbott’s moratorium, was on track to lead the nation in data centers by 2030. Abbott has historically expressed support for data center development, even courting tech companies to invest by offering incentives. But as the debate over data centers exploded this year, Abbott has joined several governors across the country in pumping the brakes. Abbott’s office did not respond to a request for comment on his change in thinking.

It’s clear, however, that Republicans in the state had grown concerned that they had begun to alienate their own voters on the data center issue. Texas Agriculture commissioner Sid Miller told NOTUS in August that Republicans “need to get right on the issue and defend the people’s position, or they’re likely to get beat.”

Ken Paxton, the state’s attorney general and Republican nominee for Senate, backed Abbott’s moratorium despite his previous support for data center development.

The Paxton campaign has received donations from data center groups throughout the campaign, and is endorsed by groups like the Club for Growth PAC — an economic freedom and limited government group — whose president recently endorsed President Donald Trump’s pro-data center Truth Social post. The Club for Growth PAC did not respond to National Review‘s request for comments by the time of publication.

Paxton’s Democratic opponent, James Talarico, has been eager to highlight the Republican’s track record on data centers.

“Ken Paxton took nearly half a million dollars from data center companies and has ignored Texans in Hood County who asked him to help block a data center development in their community,” JT Ennis, a spokesman for the Talarico campaign told National Review in a statement. “While Ken Paxton funnels data center money into his campaign, James is fighting to hold data centers accountable. Texans can’t afford a Senator who’s bought by big data center companies. Texans can’t afford Ken Paxton’s corruption.”

While the Paxton campaign did not respond to NR’s request for comment by the time of publication, the campaign has previously leveled similar accusations at Talarico, claiming he “accept[s] millions of dollars from data center-affiliated donors.” Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s co-founder, previously donated $10 million to a pro-Talarico super PAC called Lone Star Rising. Hoffman has been open about his support of data centers to stand against China and its expansion into the artificial intelligence sector.

Despite nationwide polling showing opposition to data centers across both parties, Trump said in a Monday Truth Social post that those who oppose their expansion “want to end up being backwards and poor.”

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“If they want to be successful and rich, with far lower taxes and jobs all over the place, let Data Reign,” the president continued.

Vice President JD Vance told reporters on Monday that most of the controversy around data centers can be skirted, so long as certain safeguards are put in place.

“If you build a data center, you should be putting power back into the grid, not taking it out. . . . And if that is happening, I don’t think the data centers are that controversial,” Vance said.

Data center construction is a major job creator, with the average center creating 1,500 jobs during the construction phase. However, as critics are quick to point out, most of those jobs are temporary, with only 200 permanent jobs left behind once the average center is built.

Data center construction does appear to have a positive effect on home values, which rise 2 to 5 percent on average in the wake of data center construction, according to Brookings.

Further, in many communities, data centers contribute substantially to local budgets through property and personal property tax revenue.

In Loudon County, Va., for example, data centers contributed $895 million in tax revenue, covering almost all of the county’s $940 million budget.

And while the local budget is set to increase in Loudon County, residents’ taxes won’t go up thanks to data center tax revenue, Leesburg District Supervisor Kristen Umstattd told ABC7. Yet, the county board of supervisors approved more restrictions for data centers, regardless of the tax benefits.

“The data centers have been described as the goose that lays the golden egg, and one of my colleagues had more colorful language, he said, we’re strangling the goose,” Umstattd said.

Abbott, who just last November boasted that Texas was at the “epicenter of AI development,” now says the industry has itself to blame for the backlash.

“They basically dug their own grave for the problem that’s been caused for them and that’s why they got the backlash they deserve,” Abbott told ABC’s This Week over the weekend.

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