Our Ground Game newsletter editors asked AP’s political reporters across the country who have been covering the midterm elections to pick the top story they’ve worked on this year and take stock of what made it memorable.
Here’s what Pennsylvania-based reporter Marc Levy had to say about that from his time in the Lone Star State:
“Texas may not leap to mind as the place for a backlash against big business, but the governor’s race there looks like the leading example for how anti-data center sentiment could galvanize voters in a big-time campaign.
I went to west Texas in July to see how the longshot Democratic candidate for governor, Gina Hinojosa, was handling the issue, and I found that plenty of conservatives are unhappy — both with data centers that fuel artificial intelligence and Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who is seeking a fourth term.
It’s become a defining issue for Abbott, who last year proclaimed that ‘Texas is the epicenter of AI development.’ By one estimate, Texas is poised to become the largest global data center market by 2030.
However, people worry about the impact on the state, especially when it comes to water. Ranchers said they’re concerned that data centers will be ahead of them in line when there’s rationing during droughts or shortages.
Will it make a difference? Abbott is certainly feeling the heat and has been issuing a series of orders for his administration to scrutinize data center projects.”
