Data Center Disputes Enter Rural Texas Election Debate

Concerns about data centers and industrial growth are influencing some rural Texans as early voting continues, adding water, electricity and land use to the campaign debate.

Residents in Grimes and Navarro counties describe concerns about noise, traffic, air quality and nearby homes. Some longtime Republican voters say the issue has made them consider Democrats.

Gov. Greg Abbott has responded with executive actions pausing some new development and proposing stronger requirements for water and power use. He says he wants those protections written into law when lawmakers return.

Democratic challenger Gina Hinojosa has met with affected residents and made oversight part of her campaign. Abbott’s campaign says the governor will put rural Texans first.

These accounts do not predict how West Texas will vote. They show development becoming a campaign issue.

For the South Plains, the debate concerns how state leaders accommodate investment while protecting nearby communities and resources.

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Photo Via The Texas Tribune