Harris County voters weigh tax and data center plans in Nov. 3 races

Voters in Harris County will head to the polls on Tuesday, Nov. 3, to select a governor and a U.S. senator. The races center on issues that affect local budgets and infrastructure, including property taxes, education funding, and the rapid growth of data centers.

The election brings four main candidates to the ballot: Governor Greg Abbott and Gina Hinojosa for the statehouse, and Ken Paxton and James Talarico for the Senate. Libertarian candidates Pat Dixon and Ted Brown also appear on the ballots for governor and Senate, respectively.

Property taxes emerged as a primary concern for residents. Abbott proposed eliminating school district property taxes on homesteads. He stated that the state would fully fund public education using budget surpluses and other relief strategies to replace the lost revenue.

Hinojosa defended her voting record regarding local taxes. She said decisions about local property-tax revenue should remain with locally elected governments. Her campaign had previously faced claims that she voted 40 times to raise property taxes.

The candidates also diverged on school funding models. Abbott said the goal of Texas’ school-choice program matches its investment in public schools to improve student outcomes. Hinojosa opposed the state’s education savings account program. She said she would support repealing the program if legislation reached her desk to keep public money in public schools.

Data centers have expanded quickly across the state, prompting debate over local impact. Abbott said future facilities should meet stricter requirements for electricity, water use, and location. He added that local leaders and residents should have a greater role in those decisions.

Hinojosa called for a moratorium on new data centers and an end to certain tax breaks. She argued that data-center companies should pay more of the infrastructure costs associated with their operations.

In the Senate race, the University of Houston Hobby School’s Oct. 10-14 survey of likely voters found Talarico at 48% and Paxton at 46%. Talarico said he would seek bipartisan support in the Senate. He tied affordability to changes in campaign finance and congressional stock trading.

Paxton has supported continued data-center development with conditions regarding power generation and water use. Talarico expressed concern about the influence of large technology companies and the resources required by AI data centers. Talarico also said he would oppose members of his own party if he believed their policies threatened Texas oil and gas jobs, particularly in the Houston area.

Reporters from the local team sent certified letters, emails, and phone calls to the campaigns beginning this summer. Hinojosa agreed to a sit-down interview. Abbott and Talarico answered limited questions during campaign events. Reporters attended a Paxton rally in Conroe and waited about 90 minutes after the event, but Paxton did not answer questions. His publicly available comments were used to outline his positions.

Voters can find polling locations and other election information through the Texas Secretary of State’s VoteTexas website before casting ballots on Tuesday.