Texas just went blue, and the tech bros are sad

Tech bros headed to Texas to find redder pastures. Democrats just flipped the governor's mansion and a Senate seat. Elías Valverde II/The Dallas Morning News via Getty Images, Brandon Bell/Getty Images, Jordan Vonderhaar/Bloomberg via Getty Images Texas — with its cowboy hats, slow-smoked barbecue, and de-regulatory stance — was supposed to be the California antidote for tech bros fed up with Silicon Valley's Democratic politics.Well, Texas just got a lot bluer.On Tuesday, during the midterm elections, Texas voters selected Democrats James Talarico for the Senate and Gina Hinojosa for the governor's mansion, despite massive Republican spending backed byTesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk.Now, the tech-world frustration is starting to trickle out."Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now," Musk wrote on X.Jason Calacanis, a tech investor and co-host of the "All-In Podcast," had a similar reaction."I never expected Texas to turn blue," he wrote on X. "Ugh, I moved here to get away from the left lunacy!"It was clear over the past year that President Trump was going to lead the GOP off the cliff because of ice, the war, tariffs, the other war and inflation. … but I never expected Texas to turn blue 🤯 Ugh, I moved here to get away from the left lunacy! https://t.co/VTFzfXchHp— @jason (@Jason) November 4, 2026 Chamath Palihapitiya, another "All-In" co-host, was more dire during a Tuesday-night livestream."There's only one thing that sinks the US economy," he said. "That's the AI trade. And the only way to sink the AI trade is to sink the data centers. And the only way to sink the data centers is to sink the power. And all the power that matters right now is in West Texas." Alex Cohen, the Texas-based CEO and cofounder of AI healthcare company Hello Patient, had a blunter response on X: "RIP AI it was fun while it lasted."The Lone Star State had not elected a statewide Democratic candidate since Ann Richards won the governor's race in 1990. Talarico is the first Democrat to win a Texas Senate election since Lloyd Bentsen in 1988.Not everyone in tech is angry at the results. LinkedIn cofounder Reid Hoffman, a prominent donor for Democrats, called the midterm elections, including the Texas results, "an overwhelming wave against Trump and his cronies," in a post on X.As of publication, several outspoken Texas-based tech figures — including David Sacks, Travis Kalanick, and Blockchain co-CEO Lane Kasselman — had not posted about the results. Read next Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Business Insider tells the innovative stories you want to know Ben Shimkus is a reporter for the Business News desk. He writes about cars, transportation, retail, and jobs. Ben's reporting has appeared in Rolling Stone, The Verge, Automotive News, USA Today, AutoBody News, LGBTQ Nation, TopSpeed, and Out Magazine. He's also held staff writing positions at The U.S. Sun and the Daily Mail. He graduated from NYU with a Master's in journalism in 2024. Email Ben at bshimkus@insider.com or message him privately on Signal at bshimkus.41. Texas AI Data Centers More