According to CNBC, opposition to data centers has become a political issue in Texas that could affect the 2026 elections, including the governor's race and an open U.S. Senate seat. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has ordered state regulators to audit proposed data centers seeking to connect to the power grid and to halt data center-related permits while the review is completed, while Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has proposed a "Texas first" plan that would bar Chinese technology from powering U.S. data centers and hold AI companies criminally liable if their chatbots harm children.

The report said 57% of Texas voters surveyed by the Texas Politics Project opposed a data center in their community, including 43% of Republicans, 54% of independents and 60% of rural voters. CNBC also reported that Abbott has received $500,000 donations from xAI founder Elon Musk and Black Mountain CEO Rhett Bennett, while Paxton's campaign and affiliated groups have received more than $400,000 from people and companies with data center ties.