Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa is delivering a direct message to Elon Musk and other technology billionaires seeking to expand their businesses in the state: companies will no longer be able to make major decisions without listening to the communities affected by them.
Appearing on CNN Thursday after defeating Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in the midterm elections, Hinojosa clarified that she is not against technology companies. However, she objects to corporations benefiting from Texas communities while operating with limited oversight.
“I hate the way they are taking advantage of Texas, and that stops when I’m governor,” Hinojosa told CNN’s Jake Tapper.
Her remarks came after Musk reportedly spent around $446 million supporting Republicans during the midterms, only for Democrats to win both chambers of the Texas Legislature and Hinojosa to defeat Abbott.
Hinojosa emphasized that she remains open to working with major technology companies. However, she believes local residents must have meaningful influence when businesses approach their communities, especially in rural areas where large data center developments are underway.
“Different communities have different needs,” she said. “And those communities have to be able to walk away from the table to leverage what they need for their communities.”
She argued that corporations should not be allowed to establish all the terms while residents are left dealing with the consequences.
Musk has significant business interests in Texas, where several of his companies operate major facilities. He is also pursuing additional infrastructure to support artificial intelligence and other technology projects.
One particularly contentious issue for Hinojosa is Musk’s effort to obtain public land at Boca Chica State Park for SpaceX operations.
When asked whether she would approve selling the land even if Musk threatened to relocate his operations, Hinojosa gave a firm response.
“Selling our beach to Elon Musk is just something that is almost unimaginable,” she said, adding: “It’s unacceptable.”
She also criticized the rapid growth of data centers, raising concerns about the limited protections available to Texans as companies establish facilities in predominantly rural communities.
Tapper pointed to CNN polling indicating that 75% of Texans oppose having data centers in their communities. He asked how Hinojosa would address those concerns while considering the potential economic advantages of such developments.
Hinojosa responded that Texas can continue supporting business investment without allowing corporations to disregard the interests of local residents.
Her proposed approach includes an immediate pause on new data center development while lawmakers work to establish protections for affected communities. She has also called on Abbott to issue an executive order stopping construction before she officially takes office.
“Texans are being taken advantage of,” she said.
The governor-elect stressed that she wants Texas to continue attracting investment and maintaining a strong economy. However, she argued that economic expansion should not come at the cost of residents’ access to water, electricity, land, and a good quality of life.
“We can have a strong economy, strong industry and protections for the people,” she said.
Hinojosa’s comments signal that her administration intends to take a different approach to negotiations with Musk and other major technology companies seeking to expand their operations across Texas.
