The race for governor in Texas has grown closer according to prediction markets, although incumbent Governor Greg Abbott maintains his status as the favorite. Prediction markets and gambling platforms operate differently than traditional political polling and cannot serve as replacements for standard polls.
Campaign Dynamics and Data Center Policy
Democratic challenger Hinojosa aims to become the first Democratic governor in Texas in over three decades. Her campaign has criticized Abbott by pointing to his earlier backing of data center expansion across the state.
Governor Abbott celebrated a $40 billion investment from Google in November 2025 that brought three new data center campuses to Texas, declaring at the time that the state would become the hub for artificial intelligence development. However, public sentiment toward data centers has deteriorated over the past year, prompting a shift in Abbott’s stance.
Abbott directed an audit of data centers requesting connections to the state electrical grid in August, and subsequently suspended approvals for all data center permits in September pending an audit of the current waitlist. Meanwhile, Hinojosa’s campaign platform calls for an immediate moratorium on data centers until lawmakers establish regulatory safeguards for the sector.
In-person early voting for the election wrapped up on Friday, with over 7.7 million voters across Texas having already submitted their ballots.
