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r/technology on Business Insider's look at tech figures reacting to Democrats winning Texas

A snapshot of how tech investors who moved to Texas reacted, in their own posts, when the state elected Democrats statewide.

The thread links a Business Insider article reporting that Texas voters chose Democrats James Talarico for the Senate and Gina Hinojosa for governor, despite heavy Republican spending backed by Elon Musk. It says no Democrat had won statewide in Texas since Ann Richards in 1990, and that Talarico is the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate race since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988. The article collects reactions from tech figures who moved to the state: investor Jason Calacanis wrote on X that he never expected Texas to turn blue; his All-In co-host Chamath Palihapitiya said on a livestream that the way to sink the AI trade runs through West Texas power for data centers; Hello Patient CEO Alex Cohen posted "RIP AI it was fun while it lasted." LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, a Democratic donor, called the results "an overwhelming wave against Trump and his cronies."

About 54,000 upvotes and 3,000 comments in an 18-million-member community. Most top replies focus on Musk and are sharply critical of him; one argues Texas would have stayed red had he kept out of politics, and a self-described IT director says he is puzzled that tech work is so often linked with the political right.

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Democrat

James Talarico said his win over Ken Paxton sent a message to Elon Musk, who spent more than $150 million to boost Paxton: "The people of Texas delivered a crystal-clear message to the world's first trillionaire: Texas is not for sale," adding that "the power in this state, in this country, belongs to the people."

CBS News ↗

Libertarian

A week before the election, Reason's Christian Britschgi argued that grassroots opposition to Texas' data center boom was helping Talarico by neutralizing the GOP's traditional claim to the state's growth: Republican talk of economic stewardship now "conjures up" dissatisfaction "at all the ways the party has allowed an unpopular data center to be built next door."

Reason ↗

Republican

On his podcast, Sen. Ted Cruz called the results "not simply a blue wave. It was a blue tsunami" and "a Watergate-level repudiation," said "our voters, Republicans, libertarians, independents, showed up and voted, and rejected our candidates," and said he called Talarico to congratulate him on his "impressive" victory.

CBS News ↗
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