On Monday, August 24, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, the Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate, released a new plan on data centers and artificial intelligence ( AI ) on August 24.
Paxton proposed new national laws that would change everything from how information centers are built and operated to how businesses are held accountable for distributing illegal content.
Paxton pledged to write two bills relating to information centres in a media release from his plan. First, he stated that he would draft legislation that had “prohibit the use of Chinese technology to power American data centers or be used in infrastructure.” Additionally, Paxton added that he would present a bill that would “punish data center companies illegally if the center permits AI chatbots that harm children’s safety.”
Paxton added that he would support U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton’s (R-AR ) Decentralized Access to Technology Alternatives ( DATA ) Act, which he claimed would “aggressively eliminate outdated red tape and federal regulations and create new power systems that ensure data centers do not raise electricity costs for Texans.” Additionally, Paxton added that he would “fiercely advocate for state-level program” from Governor Greg Abbott.
Paxton’s campaign responded to The Texan’s request for comment, which stated in part that” Texans deserve a warrior to lead and represent them as we address the growing presence of data centers in Texas and stop their negative impact on our suburbs.”
In the lead-up to this year’s U.S. Senate race, Paxton and state representative James Talarico (D-Austin ) scuffled because both claimed to be beholden to the data center industry.
Ken Paxton voted to storm Texas with data centers by paying them billions in tax breaks, according to Talarico in his own press release, and he has refused to use his authority as attorney general to reply to Texans ‘ calls to stop the development of data centers in their communities.
A source with knowledge of the Talarico campaign also pointed the finger at a NOTUS story that details “at least$ 448, 000” in campaign contributions from professionals and political committees of firms building, operating, and investing in information facilities.
Paxton’s speech for his part claimed Talarico had “millions of dollars from donor data centers” in Paxton’s statement. Lone Star Rising PAC, a group connected to Talarico’s campaign, received about$ 10 million in contributions from LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a proponent of data centres, according to Fox News.
With members of both parties rushing to support restrictions on their procedure and building, data centers have become a battleground in the 2026 congressional elections. The campaign arm of the U.S. Senate GOP was informed last week by Axios that they were concerned that the problem might cost them their three-seat majority and that inner polls revealed that “data centers are as famous as spent atomic waste.”
