Data center opposition emerges as major issue in 2026 US midterm elections

Aug 25, 2026

The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence data centers has emerged as a major bipartisan issue in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections. Grassroots opposition over rising utility bills, water depletion, and land use has forced candidates across states like Texas, Michigan, and Ohio to pivot. While President Donald Trump continues to champion the facilities as vital for technological supremacy, local jurisdictions have enacted over 500 bans, and candidates are increasingly signing the 'AI Pact' to demand stricter regulations.

2026 midterm election impact

▪Data center opposition has emerged as a key issue in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, forcing candidates across multiple states to reverse or adjust their policy positions.
▪In Ohio's 2026 U.S. Senate race, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown has run ads attacking Republican challenger Jon Husted for supporting energy-consuming data centers during Husted's tenure as Lieutenant Governor.
▪In Pennsylvania's 2026 gubernatorial race, Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity backed a temporary moratorium on new data centers and criticized incumbent Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro's previous support for them.
▪In Michigan's 2026 Senate race, Republican nominee Mike Rogers called for a one-year moratorium on new data centers, reversing Rogers' previous support for their construction.
▪In Texas's 2026 gubernatorial race, Democratic candidate Gina Hinojosa has called for a moratorium on new data centers and urged Governor Greg Abbott to call a special legislative session on the issue.

Bipartisan grassroots opposition

▪In New Mexico, the Center for Biological Diversity filed an emergency petition with the state Supreme Court, which successfully halted water drilling authorization for Oracle's $165 billion Project Jupiter on August 23, 2026.
▪A national poll conducted between March and July 2026 showed that public opposition to new data centers in the United States increased by 12 percentage points.
▪More than 500 local jurisdictions across the United States have enacted bans or moratoriums on data center construction, including a 12-month moratorium in Cass County, Nebraska.
▪Public opposition to data centers has united conservative farmers and ranchers with progressive environmental groups over shared concerns about water depletion, rising utility bills, and loss of agricultural land.

Florida SB 484 law

▪Florida Senate Bill 484, signed into law by Governor Ron DeSantis in May 2026, requires large-scale data center developers to pay their own full utility costs rather than shifting them to ratepayers.
▪Florida Senate Bill 484 prohibits public utilities from providing electric service to large-load data center customers that qualify as foreign entities tied to a country of concern.

Byron Donalds running mate

▪Florida Representative Byron Donalds introduced the federal Protecting Ratepayers Act (H.R. 9777) in July 2026, which would require AI data centers nationally to supply their own power and water.
▪Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds named state Senator Bryan Avila, the lead sponsor of Florida's data center ratepayer protection law SB 484, as Donalds' lieutenant governor running mate on August 25, 2026.

Trump data center advocacy

▪President Donald Trump has remained a strong advocate for data center construction, arguing they bring jobs, tax revenue, and are critical to winning the artificial intelligence race against China.
▪President Donald Trump's administration has urged data centers to build their own power plants and promoted a voluntary 'Ratepayer Protection Pledge' signed by seven technology companies in March 2026.

AI Pact candidate pledges

▪The AI Pact commitments include mandatory safety reviews for AI models, policies creating an AI dividend for workers, and allowing consumers and companies to sue over AI-inflicted harms.
▪Nebraska independent Senate candidate Dan Osborn signed the AI Pact, stating that concerns over AI and data centers have helped Osborn find common ground with conservative voters.
▪More than 15 political candidates across the United States have signed the 'AI Pact,' a five-commitment pledge developed by the Political Integrity Project to regulate data centers and AI safety.