Gina Hinojosa Triumphs Over Greg Abbott: Republicans’ Disastrous Energy Policy Cost Them Election

AUSTIN, TX— Tonight, Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Greg Abbott in a historic victory for the people of Texas. By electing Hinojosa as governor, Texans made their disapproval of Republicans’ energy policy known: from the war in Iran that is driving up gas and diesel prices, to the clean energy cuts and data centers with no guardrails that drove up utility bills. According to the CBS News/YouGov poll, more than 90 percent of Texas voters believe the Iran conflict is raising oil and gas prices.

Time and time again, Republicans like Abbott blocked the path to cheaper, faster, cleaner energy, and now Texas families and businesses are paying for it three times over — at the pump, on their utility bills, and through the unchecked data centers polluting their communities. Amidst publicly calling for a pause on new data centers, Abbott’s team met with Big Tech companies to actively court data center development in the state and continued cozying up to Big Tech CEOs and companies connected with data centers, including taking millions in campaign donations from Trump’s bestie Elon Musk. Hinojosa will tackle corporate greed and pollution, put guardrails on utility bill-raising and polluting data centers, and lower utility costs by investing in affordable clean energy.

Gina Hinojosa said it best in her victory speech tonight: “When we started this campaign a little over a year ago, I asked a simple question: Is Texas a state that is by and for the people of Texas, or is this the billionaires’ world and we just live here? Does Texas belong to the parents and their children, or the billionaires trying to dismantle our schools? Does Texas belong to the farmers and ranchers who have worked this land for generations, or the corporations trying to buy it up… Tonight, Texas we answered, and we did not whisper.” 

“The people of Texas deserve leaders who are looking out for us and ensuring that we can afford to fill our gas tank and keep our lights on, and that’s why they elected Gina Hinojosa,” said Climate Power’s Western Hub Senior Director Tiffany Hsieh. “Greg Abbott and his fellow Republicans rubber-stamped Trump’s agenda at every turn, and now they’re paying the price. Texans need relief from skyrocketing costs. As data centers strain the grid and drive up power bills, Gina Hinojosa will make sure Big Tech pays its fair share instead of sticking Texas families with the bill, and she’ll work to bring down costs by embracing all forms of Texas energy.” 

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