The Texas Politics Project
Data Centers
56%of Texas voters say that they oppose the construction of a data center in their community (June 2026)
The Economy
54%of Texas voters rate the national economy as worse than last year (June 2026)
AI Impact
49%of Texas voters expect artificial intelligence to negatively impact the economy (June 2026)
Latest Analysis
June Poll Finds a Competitive U.S. Senate race in Texas amid continuing economic concerns, data center backlash
The latest University of Texas/Texas Politics Project Poll finds a very tight race in the election for the U.S. Senate, Texas voters largely opposed to building data centers in their communities, and continuing concern about prices.
What the 2018 election in Texas can and can’t tell us about 2026
How similar is the 2026 election environment in Texas to 2018? The Texas Politics Project's deep archive of public opinion data allows us to make useful comparisons of public attitudes toward candidates and conditions in 2018 and 2026.
Second Reading: The Governor Makes a Strong Move on Data Centers
Gov. Abbott's strongly worded letter to the Public Utility Commission and ERCOT provides some grist for the 2026 campaign and sends strong signals to the regulatory agency and the legislature. James Henson and Joshua Bank wade in.
Donald Trump Second Term Job Approval Trend
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Expectations about the Economy One Year from Now
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Events
May 28: PAAT Post Runoff Power Hour Video
On Thursday, May 28, 2026, James Henson, director of the Texas Politics Project, moderated a panel of Texas media observers – Gromer Jeffers, Jr. , of The Dallas Morning News, Brad Johnson of The Texas Bullpen, Mark Jones of Rice University, and Harvey Kronberg of Harvey Kronberg's Quorum Report – to discuss the results and implications of the Texas runoff elections as party of the Professional Adovcacy Association of Texas's ongoing webinar series. View the session on the PAAT YouTube channel.
Internships
News Media
To Defeat Democrats, Texas Governor Embraces the Hard Right
Lauren McCaughy reports from the Republican Party of Texas convention in Houston.
In 1978, Texas’ dominant political party fractured. It led to them losing control. Could history be repeating itself?
George Hittner's op-ed compares the 2026 U.S. Senate race in Texas to the 1978 gubernatorial race in which Republican Bill Clements defeated Democrat John Hill, who had beat incumbent Governor Dolph Briscoe in that year's Democratic primary.
Could Democrats win the Senate? Their chances seem to be improving
Aaron Blake looks at states where Democrats could extend their efforts to retake the U.S. Senate, including Texas.
Texas is where Democratic dreams die. Did Trump change that with his Senate pick?
The Los Angeles Times' Mark Z. Barabak looks at the history of Democratic aspirations in Texas and the 2026 U.S. Senate race.
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