Why It Matters

Data centers have become a defining political issue ahead of November's midterm elections, with candidates across party lines and multiple states suddenly running against AI infrastructure.

The former president signed an executive order last year to accelerate data center permitting and has made the case directly to voters. In a July Truth Social post, Trump called data centers "one of the biggest Driving Forces in the Future for Jobs." Communities embracing data centers will be "successful and rich" with lower taxes and more jobs, Trump has stated, while those opposing them will end up "backwards and poor." He warned that "China could not be happier" about American communities blocking data centers and cautioned: "If we kill the Golden Goose, you will only have yourselves to blame."

In an August 31 Truth Social post, Trump used the slogan "Let Data Reign." But Vice President JD Vance took a notably different, more empathetic tone toward data center opponents on August 31.

Where the Fight Is Happening

The political battle spans multiple regions and levels of government. In Ohio, Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown spent $2.4 million in advertising to brand GOP Sen. Jon Husted as the "face of data centers," according to The Washington Times.

In Texas, political ads begin with someone typing into a chatbot asking "Why is my electric bill going up?" in reference to data centers. Democratic challengers in Michigan, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania are running ads against data centers. In Wisconsin, GOP gubernatorial nominee Tom Tiffany is running ads attacking his Democratic opponent as "data center David Crowley."

Most congressional candidates in Florida's Republican-leaning 16th District are opposed to a controversial data center proposed within the district. In suburban Missouri, both leading GOP candidates for a county executive seat spent their entire TV ad budgets vowing to stop data centers, and they accused each other of being beholden to developers over the issue.

Bottom Line

Candidates from both parties at the state and local level are increasingly running against data centers, citing rising electricity bills, land use concerns, and corporate favoritism. With less than three months until the midterm elections, opposition to AI data centers is becoming a bipartisan rallying cry in a growing number of states.

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