Paxton Leads Talarico 43%-42% as 56% of Texans Oppose Data Centers
Updated
Updated · texasscorecard.com · Jun 23
Paxton Leads Talarico 43%-42% as 56% of Texans Oppose Data Centers
2 articles · Updated · texasscorecard.com · Jun 23
Summary
A UT/Texas Politics Project poll of 1,200 registered voters found Ken Paxton ahead of James Talarico by 1 point, 43%-42%, putting the Senate race within the survey’s 2.83-point margin of error.
Republicans have largely consolidated behind Paxton less than a month after he beat John Cornyn in a runoff: 84% of GOP voters back him head-to-head, while 88% of Democrats support Talarico.
The same poll found 56% of Texans oppose a data center in their community, including 42% who strongly oppose it, while only 29% support such projects; resistance is strongest in rural and suburban areas.
That backlash lands as Texas attracts AI- and cloud-driven projects and Greg Abbott pushes regulators to keep grid-upgrade costs off residents, require water-efficient cooling and annual power and water reporting, and curb some tax breaks.
Other statewide matchups looked less competitive, with Abbott leading Gina Hinojosa 47%-40%, Dan Patrick up 43%-36% on Vikki Goodwin, and Mayes Middleton ahead of Nathan Johnson 41%-36% in the attorney general race.