Democrat Gina Hinojosa won the Texas governor's race on Nov. 3, 2026. Data center approvals could stay paused until state lawmakers pass new laws next year, if Hinojosa follows through on her campaign promises.
Gov. Greg Abbott has frozen environmental permitting and grid connections for data centers during an audit period that is expected to be completed this year. Hinojosa's campaign statements went further than that freeze. In an Oct. 22 video posted to X, she said, "When I am governor I will issue a moratorium — a ban — on all data center approvals until laws can be passed by the Legislature to protect Texans." She also criticized Abbott's handling of the issue.
Her campaign priorities for lawmakers included requiring data center operators to hire union workers, protecting communities' water supplies, and stopping data center companies from using nondisclosure agreements. Critics across the political spectrum have raised concerns about how much power the facilities could draw from the grid and how much water they would need in a state facing drought.