Midterms in the USA: Will Texas of all places tip?

Midterms in the USA Will Texas of all places tip? As of: October 31, 2026 • 7:05 p.m

In Texas, a Democrat could win the race for the US Senate seat in Tuesday's midterm elections. Republicans have been reliably winning in the state for decades. What issues are voters concerned about?

All you can see yet is a well-secured field, fences, surveillance cameras and a sign pointing to the construction site. Otherwise, grass as far as the eye can see. Perhaps the largest data center in the world is to be built here near Amarillo in North Texas.

A small group of demonstrators gathered in front of it. One of them is Tiffany Riles, and she's worried about possible environmental problems caused by the data center - about air pollution, about water shortages. Large parts of Texas are already affected by dryness or drought.

Tiffany is committed to the young Democrats in Texas. She wears a clip in her hair that says “Vote”. The young school librarian doesn't hold back with her political opinions. “Fuck Donald Trump!” she says emphatically. Above all, she does not agree with his deportation policy and the operations of the immigration authority ICE.

In the USA, resistance to data centers is growing - across party lines. more

Just a few meters away from Tiffany in the group is Misty, pink blazer and big sunglasses. And that's unusual in today's America. Because Misty is also a Trump supporter and is one of his biggest fans, the so-called MAGA camp - the abbreviation for "Make America Great Again". “I love Donald Trump,” says Misty. But he was wrong about data centers.

The US President's position on this topic is also: weaken regulations, push data centers. Misty thinks citizens should have more of a say.

The US state of Texas has already imposed a construction freeze on new data centers. more

Americans are demonstrating all over the country. According to surveys, more than half are now critical of data centers, especially in their neighborhoods. And so they have become one of the election campaign topics.

Texas is particularly competitive in these midterms, especially in the race for the Senate, one of the two chambers of the US Parliament. No Democrat has won this in Texas in more than 30 years. Texas has been Republican for decades. This time, Democratic candidate James Talarico could have a real chance.

The 37-year-old describes himself as an “eighth-generation Texan.” The former teacher has made his religion a central message in his election campaign.

Democratic hopefuls in Texas: James Talarico wants to enter the US Senate for the state. It would be the first time since 1988 that a Democrat has achieved this.

His success could be partly due to voters' skepticism about Ken Paxton, the Republican candidate. The Texas attorney general was threatened with impeachment after his own party initiated proceedings on allegations of corruption, among other things. In 2023, the Texas Senate acquitted him.

Paxton is considered a close Trump ally and tried to overturn Joe Biden's election victory in the Supreme Court after Donald Trump's election defeat. The polls predict a neck-and-neck race between Talarico and Paxton, with some seeing the Democrat slightly ahead.

Ken Paxton is highly controversial because of corruption allegations. Is that why Republican voters are turning away from him?

And a second issue is causing anger among loyal Trump supporters in Texas: the government's fight against renewable energies. Bales of hay fly from the back of a silver, slightly dented pickup truck. John Davis feeds his cattle. He's not just any rancher, but a former politician for the Republican Party in Texas and frustrated with Trump's fight against renewables. "Why is he against her?" he asks - "I don't understand it."

His cattle have been grazing under wind turbines in the vast expanse of Texas for more than five years. A company operates the facilities and pays him monthly rent for the land. "With every spin, money ends up in my back pocket." Trump, on the other hand, is fully committed to oil and gas production and not to renewable energies - "drill, baby, drill" was already his motto in the 2024 election campaign.

Washington is investing a lot of money in the fight against wind power, which is unpopular under US President Trump. more

The US Department of Defense stopped approval processes for wind farms citing national security. That makes Republican John Davis unhappy. He thinks it's "stupid." After all, this affects rural regions that could really use investment. Aside from that, he still supports Donald Trump 99 percent of the time.

Even if the president is not voted on in the midterms, his policies play a major role there. The question is - even in Texas: Are Republican voters frustrated enough to stay home or even vote for a Democrat?

This topic in the program: BR24 Radio | News | Oct 30, 2026 | 12:50 p.m