Texas Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa said the state will enact laws to shield citizens from data centers, according to her first public comments since defeating incumbent Greg Abbott in Tuesday’s election. Hinojosa, who won with 52.8% of the vote, outlined the proposal as part of her incoming administration’s priorities.
Hinojosa’s office did not immediately provide specifics on the proposed legislation, and the governor-elect has not yet released a formal policy platform. The announcement, made during her first public remarks since defeating Abbott, did not include a timeline for when the measures would be introduced or which state agencies would be tasked with enforcement.
On Nov. 3, at 6:30 p.m. ET, both Kalshi and Polymarket priced Abbott as a 65% favorite to win a fourth term.
Hinojosa, a Democrat, defeated the incumbent Republican with 52.8% of the vote, according to unofficial returns. Abbott received 45.7%. The race was called for Hinojosa on Election Night, a result that contradicted prediction market forecasts.
The governor’s race was part of a broader Democratic wave in Texas. Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, receiving 55.1% of the vote to Paxton’s 43.0%, according to election results. In the 15th Congressional District, Democrat Bobby Pulido defeated Republican incumbent Monica De La Cruz.
Talarico’s victory followed a similar prediction market trend. On Election Day morning, contracts for Talarico traded at approximately 73 cents on Kalshi and 74 cents on Polymarket. By 7 p.m. ET, Kalshi’s probability for Talarico had climbed to 81%.
Hinojosa’s data center proposal comes as Texas has seen rapid growth in the technology infrastructure sector. The state has become a hub for large-scale computing facilities in recent years, driven by available land, energy resources and tax incentives. The governor-elect’s remarks signal a shift in how the incoming administration intends to regulate the industry, though no specific companies or locations were mentioned in her statement.
The source for this report, a recap of the 2026 Texas election results and prediction market odds published by Covers, does not contain any additional details on the data center proposal. The article, written by political writer Evan Scrimshaw, focuses on the electoral outcomes and market movements but does not include direct quotes from Hinojosa on the subject or any named officials involved in drafting the proposed laws.
Hinojosa’s transition team has not announced a legislative schedule for the upcoming session. The Texas Legislature is not currently in session, and any new laws related to data centers would require action by both chambers and the governor’s signature.
The governor-elect’s victory was considered a market upset, though analysts noted that a contract priced around 35 cents implies an outcome that could occur roughly 35% of the time. Prediction markets process new information faster than traditional polls, according to the source, which may explain the discrepancy between pre-election forecasts and the final result.
Hinojosa is scheduled to take office in January. Her administration’s priorities, including the data center proposal, are expected to be detailed further in the coming weeks as she announces cabinet appointments and legislative goals.
