US Midterms: 40 of 41 Data Center Measures Face Opposition
Voters in the 2026 US midterm elections opposed or backed limits on data center development in nearly every local ballot contest with results available. The issue also featured in major Democratic wins, as concerns about electricity costs, water use and jobs brought resistance to AI infrastructure into campaigns.
US voters in the 2026 midterm elections opposed data center development or backed limits on it in 40 of 41 local ballot contests with results available Wednesday, reflecting resistance to the facilities and the AI boom they support.
The contests covered 10 states. Harwood, North Dakota, was the exception: voters rejected a proposal requiring independent reviews of large industrial projects, including data centers, according to the reported results.
Opposition also featured in major Democratic victories in Ohio and Texas. In Ohio, Democrat Sherrod Brown defeated Republican Sen. Jon Husted after making Husted’s support for data center development a campaign issue.
Ohio had 21 data center-related ballot measures, more than half of the 41 contests nationwide. Brown had attacked Husted’s position on the development, while Democrat Amy Acton won the governor’s race on a platform that included a conditional moratorium on new data centers.
In Texas, Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott after criticizing the rapid expansion of data centers in the state. Democrats who campaigned on pausing or regulating projects also won key races in Wisconsin and Georgia.
Why did data centers become an election issue?
Voters cited concerns about local costs and the effects of construction, as well as fears that artificial intelligence could threaten jobs. A voter poll found 56% of respondents considered data centers a crucial or major factor in their vote, while 76% said they would oppose a new center in their community.
Data centers use large amounts of electricity and water. Critics say the demand can raise electricity costs for nearby communities, and a working paper from the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas estimated that data centers had contributed to a 6.9 percent rise in wholesale electricity prices as of last year.
Bhaskar Chakravorti, dean of global business at Tufts University, said public concern extended from employment to what people could see being built near their homes. “The unchecked acceleration of AI development has been causing concern across the board,” he said.
James Mercer, founder of data center advisory firm Metro Colo Advisory, said residents worried that local electricity customers could bear the cost of facilities with enormous power needs. “What they push back on is a building down the road that needs as much power as a small city, when they suspect their own electric bill will cover it,” he said.
Data center construction has expanded alongside the growth of artificial intelligence. The Pew Research Center estimated that the United States already had 3,000 data centers as of April, with more than 1,500 others in progress.
The political response could include requirements for developers to cover energy and water infrastructure costs, use union labor, or meet stricter environmental and transparency standards. In Texas, Hinojosa’s win came in a state with 595 data centers and 31 ongoing construction projects.
Democrats also won Senate races in Texas, Georgia and Ohio, where candidates called for tighter rules on data center development. The election results showed the issue had become a campaign concern across party lines, even as the role it played in individual races remains difficult to separate from other voter priorities.
