Republican Governor Greg Abbott is facing a revolt in deep-red rural Texas that could place his bid for a fourth term in serious jeopardy. Longtime conservative voters angered by massive data centers and a $33 billion power-line project are now openly discussing voting for a Democrat. Two recent polls showed Abbott leading Democratic state Rep. Gina Hinojosa by just one percentage point.
The growing opposition centers on power-hungry data centers spreading across rural communities and plans to build thousands of miles of high-voltage transmission lines. Residents have raised concerns about construction, pollution, electricity prices, water supplies, and the loss of ranchland. Many also believe Abbott and Republican leaders have placed large corporations ahead of the people who consistently keep them in office.
Texas has not elected a Democratic governor in more than 35 years, and rural voters traditionally provide Republicans with the margins needed to overcome Democratic support in the state’s major cities. Abbott’s political problem is therefore larger than a handful of angry landowners. Even a substantial drop in rural enthusiasm could threaten his reelection in a race that is already polling far closer than Republicans would prefer.
As Politico reported, Tom Green County Commissioner Shawn Nanny described the data centers and power-line plans as the “straws that broke the camel’s back” for some voters. Nanny, a Republican, said he is hearing from conservatives who understand what electing a Democrat would mean but are prepared to do it anyway. Their immediate goal, he said, is removing Abbott.
“They understand the repercussions of that, but you know what I’m hearing is, ‘Yeah, we’ll have a Democrat in there and grit our teeth and bear it, but hopefully we’ll come out of it the following election,’” Nanny said. “They’re so upset; they just want [Abbott] out.” The warning comes as Abbott’s approval rating among rural voters has fallen from 63% in 2018 to 48% in 2026, according to polling from the nonpartisan Texas Politics Project.
Texas A&M University and Fox News polls cited in the report each placed Abbott only one point ahead of Hinojosa. That narrow margin gives the Democrat an opening to target voters who have rarely, if ever, supported her party. Hinojosa has released an advertisement in rural markets accusing Abbott of selling Texans out to data center executives and has called for stronger restrictions on the industry.
The anger extends beyond concerns about household utility bills. Suzanne Bellsnyder, who worked as an Abbott campaign field director in 2014, said rural residents believe political leaders want their land and natural resources while disregarding the culture built around them. “It feels like an attack on a culture, a way of life, because now I think rural Texas is feeling like, ‘Okay, now they want us, but don’t want our culture — they want our resources,’” she said.
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McCulloch County Attorney Greg Torres, another Republican, warned that opposition to the planned 765-kilovolt transmission lines could turn residents into single-issue voters. “We are not a bunch of woke Marxist liberals here, but I’m telling you our constituents oppose this and may become single-issue voters over this,” Torres said. Politico reported that executives with Oncor Electric, which is involved in the transmission build-out, gave $265,000 to a pro-Abbott political action committee, while Elon Musk contributed $500,000.
Abbott has attempted to contain the damage by directing state regulators to pause approvals for data centers seeking grid connections until the projects undergo an audit. His order calls for developers to disclose information about their electricity and water demands, cooling operations, tax breaks, ownership, and plans to mitigate local impacts. The late intervention has failed to persuade some rural Republicans who blame his administration for allowing the industry to expand with few restrictions.
“What makes me mad about it is who saves them in elections? We do,” Torres said. “There will be no enthusiasm for Governor Abbott this time in rural areas.” One voter identified as Bloomquist, who could not recall ever voting for a Democrat, was even more direct about her refusal to support Abbott again: “He sold Texans out to big business, and I just don’t trust him anymore.”