Talarico vs Paxton on Data Center Money | Dallas News

Democratic Senate hopeful James Talarico is accusing Republican rival Ken Paxton of cozying up to the data center industry—nearly half a million dollars in donations, he says—while ignoring local pleas to stop harmful construction in Hood County. Talarico vows his own campaign stays clean, rejecting industry cash outright. But Paxton’s team hits back hard, calling Talarico a hypocrite after revealing a super PAC backing him has taken over $12 million from data center-linked donors. Talarico defends himself, saying he only controls direct campaign funds—not outside groups. Still, he outlines bold plans to regulate data centers: cover energy costs, recycle water, and empower communities. He also notes his past climate legislation, though it stalled. While Paxton’s camp backs similar rules as Governor Abbott’s, Talarico insists he’ll protect Texas’s entire energy future—oil, gas, and renewables—from federal overreach, promising a balanced path forward that doesn’t sacrifice economic growth for environmental goals. Listen in comfort:Get a discount on a Soli Pillow: http://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/6c78e22757a3cec3