距离11月中期选举仅剩72天，一些共和党人开始担心可能失去得克萨斯州——在2024年的总统大选中，唐纳德·特朗普曾以近14个百分点的优势赢得该州。但得州州长格雷格·阿博特显然不在担忧者之列。
周五，阿博特在奥斯汀的州长官邸接受了美国广播公司（ABC News）《本周》节目联合主播乔纳森·卡尔的采访。他明确表示，他相信得州选民将把这次选举视为民主党和共和党之间的鲜明对比。
阿博特说：“选举的关键不在于8月，而在于11月。选票摆在面前时有一个选择。当这些选民走进投票站时，他们将在共和党提供的常识与民主党带来的疯狂之间做出抉择。”
在整个采访中，阿博特多次强调这种“对比”——无论是在被问及总统的执政表现、汽油价格、得州参议员竞选，还是特朗普之后谁该领导共和党时。
得州州长的此番表态，正值7月下旬的一项“得州脉搏”民调显示，共和党对该州长达数十年的掌控可能面临风险。在该参议员选举的民调中，民主党人、州众议员詹姆斯·塔拉里科以47%对43%的支持率，领先于得州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿。在同一项民调中，正竞选第四个州长任期的阿博特仅以46%对45%的微弱优势，领先于民主党挑战者、州众议员吉娜·伊诺霍萨。
同样在激烈选战中角逐的得州共和党籍联邦参议员特德·克鲁兹，7月在一档广播节目中对阿博特表示，塔拉里科“确实有机会”获胜。
尽管民调显示阿博特的选情可能相当胶着，但他在整个采访中从未提及自己的民主党对手，却多次提到了塔拉里科的名字。
阿博特强调，他坚信随着选民进一步了解塔拉里科的履历，最终会选择支持帕克斯顿。他将塔拉里科的记录称为“疯狂”。
阿博特表示：“帕克斯顿经历了一场长达3个月的决选，这需要资金、需要拉票、需要投入精力，所以他现在才刚刚在竞选进程上追赶塔拉里科。”
塔拉里科则不断抨击帕克斯顿的政治记录，其中包括帕克斯顿在2023年遭到共和党主导的得州众议院弹劾一事（尽管得州参议院最终判定他无罪）。
这是对特朗普的公投吗？
尽管如此，中期选举通常被视为对在位总统的一次公投。在路透社／益普索（Reuters／Ipsos）近期的一项民调中，特朗普的支持率跌至35%的历史低点，这可能会拖累共和党人，即便是在得州这样的州也不例外。
卡尔向阿博特询问了特朗普在压低物价方面的记录——这是选民在中期选举中最关心的议题之一，尤其是在与伊朗爆发战争以及燃料成本飙升的背景下。
阿博特曾在7月初于社交平台X上发文称，到夏末得州的汽油价格将降至每加仑2美元以下。自2021年新冠疫情以来，得州油价从未低于每加仑2美元。根据GasBuddy的数据，自阿博特发文以来，得州油价基本没有变化，目前平均仍高于每加仑3．60美元。
阿博特说：“当选民在11月去投票时，他们会基于对比做出选择，决定他们想要共和党候选人还是民主党候选人。这个问题的答案，远比某一个油价点位复杂得多。”
阿博特表示，他仍预计在今年夏末之前，汽油价格将降至每加仑2美元以下，并指出这得益于美国和伊朗之间敌对行动的减少。由于霍尔木兹海峡（全球石油供应的关键水道）的通行量极低，汽油价格一直居高不下；伊朗重申，除非美国同意其要求，否则不会开放该海峡。
但阿博特依然表示，他不认为选民在走向投票站时会把特朗普放在心上。
他说：“在竞选途中我听到的情况是，人们并没有和我谈论特朗普。我们谈论的是得州共和党和民主党之间存在的对比。”
阿博特对数据中心的要求
随着人工智能数据中心在全美各地涌现，美国广播公司（ABC News）的分析发现，已经拥有300多座数据中心（数量居全美第二）的得州，还有至少200个规划中的项目。
无论是民调还是市政厅会议上的公众愤怒情绪，都表明美国民众越来越反对在本地社区建设数据中心。福克斯新闻7月的一项民调显示，70%的登记选民反对在自己所在地区建设数据中心。
阿博特表示，得州的愤怒情绪源于数据中心扩张的速度过快，以及地方社区缺乏发言权。
他说：“争取当地社区民众的支持至关重要。这就是为什么我现在以州长的身份介入并表示：听着，如果你是一个数据中心并想在得州运营，你必须首先获得当地社区的批准。”
在阿博特任内，得州的数据中心迅速扩张，他的对手也因此对他发起攻击。伊诺霍萨指责阿博特“在数据中心问题上为了政治得分而反复摇摆”。
但随着反对声浪不断扩大，尤其是在农村地区，阿博特成为数名采取更强硬立场的共和党人之一。
阿博特目前正在推动他作为州长采取的行政措施，以确保数据中心满足若干要求，包括自备电力、降低电价以及不得建在居民区附近。阿博特甚至暂停了得州新的数据中心项目，以确保这些项目符合相关要求。
特朗普批评了阿博特暂停新项目的做法，称这是“一个错误”。阿博特则淡化了特朗普的评论，称得州情况特殊，因为得州拥有独立电网。
阿博特说：“我们已经建立起一套机制，在解决这个问题上会比任何一个州做得都更多。”
Gov． Abbott dismisses GOP worries about Texas， says choice between Talarico and Paxton is ＇easy＇
With just 72 days to go until November＇s midterm elections， some Republicans find themselves worried about losing Texas -- a state President Donald Trump won by nearly 14 percentage points in 2024． Texas Gov． Greg Abbott is not one of them．
Abbott sat down with ABC News＇ ＂This Week＂ co-anchor Jonathan Karl on Friday at the Texas governor＇s mansion in Austin， Texas， and made clear he believes Texas voters will see this election as a contrast between Democrats and Republicans．
＂What matters in elections is not in August， what matters in elections is November，＂ Abbott said． ＂There＇s a choice at the ballot box． And when those voters go in， they＇re going to choose between common sense that＇s offered by Republicans versus the crazy that＇s offered by the Democrats．＂
Abbott emphasizes that contrast several times throughout the interview -- including when asked about the president＇s job performance， gas prices， the Texas Senate race and even who should lead the Republican Party after Trump．
The Texas governor＇s remarks come as a Texas Pulse poll conducted in late July found that the GOP＇s decades-long grip on the state of Texas could be at risk． In the poll of the Senate race， Democrat and state Rep． James Talarico led Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton by four points： 47% to 43%． In that same poll， Abbott -- who is running for a fourth term as governor -- led his Democratic challenger， State Rep． Gina Hinojosa， by one point， 46% to 45%．
Sen． Ted Cruz， a Texas Republican who has been in competitive races himself， told Abbott on a radio show in July that Talarico has ＂a real chance＂ to win．
Despite polls suggesting Abbott could be in a tight race， Abbott never once mentioned his Democratic opponent during the interview， while he mentioned Talarico＇s name several times．
Abbott emphasized his belief that voters will ultimately decide to vote for Paxton after learning more about Talarico＇s record， which he called ＂crazy．＂
＂［Paxton］ was in a three-month-long runoff that demanded capital， it demanded campaigning， demanded his attention， and so he＇s just now catching up in the campaign process with Talarico，＂ Abbott said．
Talarico has repeatedly attacked Paxton for his record， which includes being impeached by the GOP-led Texas House in 2023． Paxton was acquitted by the Texas Senate．
Referendum on Trump？
Still， midterm elections are typically seen as a referendum on the president． Trump＇s approval rating -- which reached a record low of 35% in a recent Reuters／Ipsos poll -- could drag down Republicans even in a state like Texas．
Karl asked Abbott about Trump＇s record on bringing down prices -- a top issue for voters in the midterms -- especially amid the war with Iran and elevated fuel costs．
Abbott said in a post on X in early July that gas prices in Texas would drop below $2 per gallon by the end of the summer． Gas prices have not been below $2 in Texas since 2021，during the COVID pandemic， and are roughly the same since Abbott＇s post -- currently averaging over $3．60 per gallon， according to GasBuddy．
＂When voters go vote in November， they will vote on contrast and make a choice about do they want the Republican or the Democrat candidate，＂ Abbott said． ＂The answer to that is far more complex than just one price point about oil．＂
Abbott said he still expects gas prices to drop below $2 per gallon before the end of this summer， citing reduced hostilities between the U．S． and Iran． Gas prices have remained high because minimal traffic is moving through the Strait of Hormuz， a critical waterway for global oil supply， and Iran has reiterated it will not open the strait unless the U．S． agrees to its demands．
But Abbott still said he does not buy that voters will head to the polls with Trump on their minds．
＂What I＇m hearing on the campaign trail， people are not talking to me about Trump． We＇re talking about the contrast that exists between Republicans and Democrats in Texas，＂ Abbott said．
Abbott＇s data center demands
As artificial intelligence data centers pop up all over the U．S．， Texas -- already home to more than 300 data centers， the second most in the country -- has at least 200 more planned projects， an ABC News analysis found．
Both polls and public outrage at town halls show a country increasingly opposed to data centers in local communities． A July Fox News poll found that 70% of registered voters oppose a data center being built in their area．
Abbott said the outrage in Texas stems from the speed of the data center boom and the lack of input from local communities．
＂Gaining the support of people in local communities is essential，＂ Abbott said． ＂That＇s why I am now coming in as governor saying listen， if you＇re a data center and you want to operate in Texas， you have to first get the approval of those in local communities．＂
Abbott was governor during the rapid buildout of data centers in Texas， something his opponent has attacked him for． Hinojosa accused Abbott of ＂flip-flopping on data centers for political points．＂
But as opposition grows， especially in rural areas， Abbott is one of several Republicans taking a tougher stance．
Abbott is now promoting executive action he has taken as governor to ensure data centers comply with certain requirements， including supplying their own power， reducing the cost of electricity and not building near neighborhoods． Abbott even paused new data center projects in Texas to ensure data center compliance．
Trump criticized Abbott＇s pause，calling it a ＂mistake．＂Abbott brushed off Trump＇s comment， saying Texas is in a unique situation because it has its own power grid．
＂We have created a structure that＇s going to do more than any state to solve the problem，＂ Abbott said．
