如果有一个问题似乎会在2026年激活各种选民，那就是数据中心。 迅速建造这些庞大的服务器储存设施，以及随之而来的基础设施建设和开支，已在全国各社区引发了当地反对派，成为许多国会和省长运动中的一个重大问题。
数据中心反弹使美国团结
一些中期赛跑则归为"讨厌数据中心的人"和"更讨厌数据中心的人".
数据中心反弹使美国团结
一些中期赛跑则归为"讨厌数据中心的人"和"更讨厌数据中心的人".
与此同时，科技资金也涌入了这些种族中的很多。 "领导未来"是一个由风险资本家马克·安德烈森和OpenAI总统格雷格·布洛克曼支持的超级PAC，一年已经花费了4500万美元。 Anthropic支持的团体称支持AI保障，称是融资的8000万美元。 两者都资助了民主党和共和党结盟的团体。 其他超级PAC看到一个推动更严格AI政策的机会，比如最近创立的"明日同心"("明日同心")，其中发布400万元的广告用于战场豪斯竞技，并带有关于数据中心发展和AI安全的信息。
各种候选人似乎都在远离数据中心，他们愿意走多远，包括支持彻底暂停发展。 许多民主党候选人似乎更愿意支持暂停，虽然一些共和党人倾向于党内关于将发展置于地方控制之中的讯息，而不是支持禁令，但另一些人则说暂停正是此刻所呼吁的。
德克萨斯州州长和参议院的种族
深红德克萨斯州拥有仅次于弗吉尼亚州的第二高计划数据中心项目，跨多种族，数据中心作为一个关键楔形问题出现。 民主党候选人和共和党候选人都试图在数据中心看起来强硬，但在他们的计划中强调不同的信息。 例如，在参议院竞选中，民主党候选人和州众议员。 詹姆斯·塔拉里克(James Talarico)提到环境影响并与公众分享公司利润，而共和党候选人和德克萨斯州总检察长肯·帕克斯顿(Ken Paxton)则讨论将中国技术排除在美国数据中心之外的必要性。 然而，这两个中心都希望数据中心承担自己的能源基础设施相关费用，并想取消对它们的某些免税。
7月，Talarico 发布的“Hold Data Centres Accountable Plan ” 将终止州销售税刺激措施，让社区在数据中心的开发中拥有更多发言权，要求在新数据中心建立封闭式输水系统以限制消费，并创建保护能源网和环境的联邦标准。 塔拉里科还为美国人提议了“AI Dispend ”，由“AI-可归属利润”税来资助。
帕克斯顿的“德克萨斯第一数据中心计划 ” 发布将在8月支持格雷格·阿博特政府的州级政策，包括取消对数据中心的销售税免税，要求它们支付使用电力的费用并增加国家电能，以及阻止AI数据中心在州内的农村地区建设。 在联邦一级，Paxton 称将共同发起一项现有法案，使数据中心更容易与离网电力系统连接，引入新的立法禁止使用中国技术为美国数据中心或基础设施提供动力，如果该设施“拥有破坏儿童安全的AI聊天机”，则数据中心公司将承担刑事责任。
塔拉里科还为美国人提出了“AI Dispend”，资金来自对“AI-可归属利润”的征税。
民主挑战者Gina Hinojosa(Gina Hinojosa)指责共和党执政者Abbott(Abbott)在数据中心上“漂浮”。 Abbott的办公室去年发布了一份新闻稿，庆祝400亿美元的Google投资，其中将包含三个新的数据中心校园，但在2026年8月，随着竞选季节的升温，他宣布会推迟连接国家能源网的新设施的审计。 Hinojosa最近呼吁全州暂停开发数据中心，他直言不讳。 “格雷格·阿博特在这里没有信誉。 没有人相信纵火犯即将灭火
这些赛事的结果仍然非常不确定。 Cook Political Report将本月早些时候州长竞选的评分从共和党的胜负改为了共和党的胜负。 称参议院比赛的公开场地是掷出一掷。
佛罗里达州州长赛
在佛罗里达州，大型的数据中心是否可以被正确的政策控制，民主党候选人和前国会议员大卫·乔利(David Jolly)承诺在上任的第一天对超规模数据中心实施一年禁令，在一则广告中，Jolly将数据中心与犯罪放在相同的呼吸中
他的共和党对手，众议员拜伦·唐纳德斯(Byron Donalds)此前曾支持该州数据中心的开发，称佛罗里达州在不破坏该州美景的情况下"广泛开放"建设。 虽然他最近改变主意了，虽然他仍不想彻底禁止数据中心，7月，Donalds 推出"保护利率支付者法案"，这将要求数据中心开发人员为运行其运行所需的能量和水提供资金。 他也支持州法，“在我的佛罗里达州，如果你不保护我们的袖珍书和人民，然而，能源专家警告说，唐纳德斯承诺依靠核和天然气实际上可以提高消费者的成本。
尽管做出了这些努力，他仍被反对者称为"数据中心唐纳德斯"(Data Center Donalds)，投票表明他可能不得不为同样强烈反对数据中心发展的保守选民而斗争。 一份十月NBC6/Telemundo Station Group 民调发现，45%的可能的选民答卷人反对佛罗里达的数据中心，38%的支持率和17%的未决定率。 在他们自己的社区中，反对数据中心的百分比更高，为59%。 民调发现Donalds领先48%, 10%的受访者仍未作出决定。
宾夕法尼亚州州长赛
在相对较少的紫色州中，两位州长候选人都指责对方为了获得选票，民主党政府(Democratic Gover. Josh Shapiro)和共和党挑战者兼州财政局长斯泰西·加里特(Stacy Garrity)在数据中心发展的广泛反弹中似乎都强硬了立场，尽管他们以前在这类项目中夸耀机会。
夏皮罗自豪地说，去年来自Amazon的200亿美元投资将给该州带来新的数据中心，并称赞宾夕法尼亚州新的快速通道许可计划有助于吸引投资。 但今年，沙皮罗缓和了自己的热情，于8月签署了一项行政命令，禁止数据中心开发者不披露协议，并取消了AI数据中心提案的快道。 沙皮罗有称，他的观点根据社区的反馈而演变。
但加里蒂似乎也反对数据中心，在去年的一次电台采访中，她的称乡村地区将会是“建立数据中心的好地方”，她也赞扬当时的Amazon投资Shapiro，根据Spotlight PA，她支持暂停不超过三年的发展。
可能来自宾夕法尼亚州选民的Quinnipiac大学民调在10月初发现，64%的人认为州内的AI数据中心会比好事更有害，但民主党的受访者中，尽管民调让他带领59%的加里蒂(Garrity)获得了34 %
俄亥俄州参议院比赛
在争夺俄亥俄州参议院席位的战斗中，数据中心既是“新的成分(也是新的问题)”，据泄露的《全国共和党参议员委员会备忘录》称。 共和党执政者Jon Husted和民主党候选人Sherrod Brown在八月警告说，数据中心(data centre)
正如NRSC所指出，布朗将反对数据中心作为他竞选的核心原则，布朗曾用锤子将赫斯特德击败，因为他过去支持数据中心担任副州长，在那里他帮助安装了减税。 Husted有称，他认为当地社区应该能够决定是否引进数据中心，有些人可能认为收入是有用的。
“如果他输了，数据中心就会受到指责
至少到8月，全国复兴革命委员会仍然认为选民赞成这种做法，而不是全面禁止，但承认目前的看法是负面的。 该集团警告说，失去俄亥俄州参议院席位会危及未来对数据中心的支持。 “如果他输了，数据中心会受到指责，全国各地的政治家都会注意到
Husted 推出即"利率支付者保护法"，它需要像数据中心那样的大型负载客户来支付自己的能耗和容纳它们所需的基础设施升级。 该法案通过了众议院，并被视作胡斯特德潜在的活活筏，但狭隘地未能通过参议院，甚至有少数民主党人投赞成票。 库克政治报告将种族评为一掷而出，最近调查的RealClear Polling平均值为显示 Brown，边缘略微。
密歇根州参议院赛
数据中心是密歇根州两个关键种族的热门话题，有剃刀-平分边际。 该州正在处理数十个新的数据中心提案，密歇根州参议院开放席位的两位候选人都支持暂停投票。 共和党前议员迈克·罗杰斯支持暂停一年，但反对联邦禁令，而民主党候选人和前公共卫生官员阿卜杜勒·赛义德·称(Abdul El-Sayed 称)则应该“在我们能够安全和有联邦保护的情况下再没有数据中心。” Rogers的暂停援助是在The Lever报告他的投资之后数日
与全国其他民主党人相比，在二月，Politicaco写道，像El-Sayed这样的“下台者”在他们的主要竞选活动中，El-Sayed现在也被锁定在库克政治报告认为与罗杰斯的死热度，在一场可以决定国会权力平衡的比赛中。 罗杰斯a
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If there’s one issue that seems to activate all kinds of voters in 2026, it’s data centers. The rapid buildout of these massive server storage facilities — and the infrastructure construction and expenses that come with them — has sparked local opposition in communities across the country and become a major issue in many congressional and gubernatorial campaigns.
Data center backlash is uniting America
Some midterm races come down to ‘people who hate data centers’ versus ‘people who hate them even more.’
Data center backlash is uniting America
Some midterm races come down to ‘people who hate data centers’ versus ‘people who hate them even more.’
At the same time, tech money has been pouring into many of these races. Leading the Future, a super PAC backed by venture capitalist Marc Andreessen and OpenAI President Greg Brockman, has already spent $45 million in a year. And Public First Action, an Anthropic-backed group that says it supports AI safeguards, says it’s raised $80 million. Both have funded Democratic and Republican-aligned groups. Other super PACs see an opportunity to push for stricter AI policies, like the recently created Tomorrow Together, which launched $4 million in ads for battleground House races, with messages about data center development and AI safety.
All sorts of candidates appear to be distancing themselves from data centers and taking steps to assuage voters’ concerns about unconstrained buildouts in their backyards. How far they’re willing to go — including by backing an outright moratorium on development — varies. While many Democratic candidates seem likelier to back a pause, that’s not always the case. And though some Republicans have leaned on party messaging about putting development in local control, rather than supporting a ban, others say a pause is exactly what the moment calls for.
Texas gubernatorial and Senate races
Deep red Texas has the second-highest number of planned data center projects in the country after Virginia, and across multiple races, data centers have emerged as a key wedge issue. Democratic and Republican candidates are all trying to look tough on data centers but emphasize different messages in their plans. For example, in the Senate race, Democratic candidate and State Rep. James Talarico includes references to environmental impact and sharing corporate profit with the public, while Republican candidate and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton discusses the need to keep Chinese technology out of US data centers. Both, however, want data centers to bear their own energy infrastructure-related costs and want to do away with certain tax exemptions for them.
In July, Talarico unveiled his “Hold Data Centers Accountable Plan,” which would end state sales tax incentives, give communities more of a say in data center development, require a closed-loop water system in new data centers to limit consumption, and create federal standards to protect the energy grid and environment. Talarico has also proposed an “AI Dividend” for Americans that would be funded by a tax on “AI-attributable profits.”
For his part, Paxton’s “Texas First Data Center Plan,” unveiled in August, would support Gov. Greg Abbott’s state-level policies, including repealing sales tax exemptions for data centers, requiring them to pay for electricity they use and add to state capacity, and preventing AI data centers from building in rural parts of the state. On the federal level, Paxton says he would co-sponsor an existing bill making it easier for data centers to connect to off-grid power systems, introduce new legislation prohibiting the use of Chinese technology to power US data centers or infrastructure, and hold data center companies criminally liable if the facility “empowers AI chatbots that undermine children’s safety.”
Talarico has also proposed an “AI Dividend” for Americans that would be funded by a tax on “AI-attributable profits”
In the race for the governor’s office, Democratic challenger and State Rep. Gina Hinojosa has accused Abbott, the Republican incumbent, of “flip-flopping” on data centers. Abbott’s office put out a press release last year celebrating a $40 billion Google investment that would include three new data center campuses, but in August 2026, with campaign season heating up, he announced an audit that could slow new facilities connecting to the state energy grid. Hinojosa, who has recently called for a statewide moratorium on data center development, pounced on the perceived inconsistency. “Greg Abbott has zero credibility here. Nobody believes that the arsonist is about to put out the fire,” she said in a social media video.
The outcome of these races remains highly uncertain. Cook Political Report changed its rating for the governor’s race earlier this month from a likely Republican win to one that leans Republican. It says the open field for the Senate race is a toss-up.
Florida gubernatorial race
In Florida, there’s a clash over whether large-scale data centers can be reined in with the right policies or if they should be outright barred in the state. Democratic candidate and former congressman David Jolly has pledged to install a one-year ban on hyperscale data centers on his first day in office, and hasn’t ruled out a permanent extension. In one ad, Jolly puts data centers in the same breath as crime in a list of things he doesn’t want in Florida.
His Republican opponent, Congressman Byron Donalds, has previously supported data center development in the state and said Florida is “wide open” to build without destroying the state’s beauty. He’s more recently changed his tune though, and while he still doesn’t want to outright ban data centers, he’s tried to assure voters that he’d support policies protecting them from associated risks like higher energy costs. In July, Donalds introduced the Protecting Ratepayers Act, which would require data center developers to fund the energy and water needed to run their operations. He’s also supported a state law with some similar requirements and environmental guardrails. “In my Florida, if you don’t protect our pocketbooks and our people, you won’t build data centers, period,” he assures voters in one ad. Energy experts have warned, however, that Donalds’ pledge to lean on nuclear and natural gas could actually raise costs for consumers.
Despite these efforts, he’s been branded as “Data Center Donalds” by opponents, and polling suggests he may have to fight for conservative voters who also strongly oppose data center development. An October NBC6/Telemundo Station Group poll found that 45 percent of likely voter respondents opposed data centers in Florida, with 38 percent in support and 17 percent undecided. A higher percentage opposed data centers in their own communities, at 59 percent. Still, the poll found Donalds has a lead of 48 percent to Jolly’s 41 percent, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percent. Ten percent of respondents were still undecided.
Pennsylvania gubernatorial race
In one of the country’s relatively few purple states, both candidates for governor have accused each other of changing their rhetoric on data centers just to get votes. Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro and Republican challenger and state Treasurer Stacy Garrity each appear to have hardened their stances amid the widespread backlash to data center development, even though they previously touted opportunity in such projects.
Shapiro proudly announced a $20 billion investment from Amazon last year that would bring new data centers to the state, and credited Pennsylvania’s new fast track permitting program in helping lure the investment. But this year, Shapiro has tempered his enthusiasm, signing an executive order in August prohibiting nondisclosure agreements for data center developers and taking AI data center proposals off of the fast track. Shapiro has said his views evolved based on community feedback.
But Garrity, too, has seemed to turn against data centers as the election has drawn closer. In a radio interview last year, she said rural parts of the state would be “perfect places to put data centers,” and they’d be largely welcomed based on the economic opportunity they’d bring. She also praised the Amazon investment Shapiro secured at the time, though it’s now a target of some of her attack ads. This year, she has said data center developers must engage the community rather than “jam it down their throats,” and she supports a pause on development lasting no more than three years, according to Spotlight PA.
An early October Quinnipiac University poll of likely Pennsylvania voters found 64 percent believed AI data centers in the state would do more harm than good, with a plus or minus 3.9 percent margin of error. But a far larger portion of Democratic respondents were wary of them, with 80 percent saying they’d do more harm than good. That suggests it may be even more essential for Shapiro to shore up his position for his base, though the poll had him leading 59 percent to Garrity’s 34 percent.
Ohio Senate race
In the battle for Ohio’s Senate seat, data centers are both “the new ingredient (and the new problem),” according to a leaked National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) memo. Republican incumbent Jon Husted and Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown, who’s fighting to win back his former seat, “are in a dead heat,” the NRSC warned in August. And data centers, the group added, “are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck.”
As the NRSC identified, Brown has made his opposition to data centers a central tenet of his campaign, labeling Husted “the face of data centers” in the state. Brown has hammered Husted over his past support for data centers as lieutenant governor, where he helped install tax breaks. Husted has said he believes local communities should be able to decide whether to bring in data centers, and that some may find the revenue useful.
“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice”
At least as of August, the NRSC still believed voters favored that approach over sweeping bans but acknowledged that current perception is negative. The group warned that losing the Ohio Senate seat could endanger future support for data centers. “If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one,” the memo says.
Husted introduced the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would require large load customers like data centers to cover their own energy costs and the infrastructure upgrades needed to accommodate them. The bill passed the House and was seen as a potential life raft for Husted, but narrowly failed to pass the Senate, even with a handful of Democrats voting in favor. The Cook Political Report rates the race as a toss-up, and a RealClear Polling average of recent surveys shows Brown with a slight edge.
Michigan Senate race
Data centers are a hot topic across two key races in Michigan with razor-thin margins. The state is handling dozens of new data center proposals, and both candidates for Michigan’s open Senate seat support a moratorium. Republican former Rep. Mike Rogers supports a one-year pause but opposes a federal ban, while Democratic candidate and former public health official Abdul El-Sayed says there should be “no more data centers until we can do it safely and with federal protections.” Rogers’ moratorium support came days after The Lever reported on his investments that reportedly stand to gain from the buildout.
El-Sayed put his stake in the ground on data centers relatively early, compared to other Democrats across the country. In February, Politico wrote that “underdogs” like El-Sayed were centering data centers in their primary campaigns, raising what’s now a common topic in campaign ads. El-Sayed is also now locked in what the Cook Political Report rates as a dead heat with Rogers, in a race that could determine the balance of power in Congress. Rogers a
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