AI data centers also lost big in the 2026 midterm elections
President Donald Trump wasn’t on the ballot this midterm election season, but on some tickets, an industry he wholeheartedly supports was: Ballot measures in more than 30 districts across the country asked voters to weigh in on AI data center development. And data centers lost big. Voters overwhelmingly chose to ban or pause local data center development across 38 out of 41 ballot measures. (The…
In the 2026 midterm elections, a significant number of voters opposed AI data center development across the United States. More than 30 districts held ballot measures asking voters to decide on data center development, and in 38 out of 41 cases, these measures were approved. Cities like Edgewater, Florida, and Ashville, Ohio, saw overwhelming support for banning or pausing data centers.
Voters in Grove City, Ohio, narrowly rejected data center expansion, requiring public approval for some projects. Politicians who initially supported data centers changed their stance, with Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro and Georgia Governor Keisha Lance Bottoms both implementing restrictions. Candidates opposing data centers won elections, including in Pennsylvania and Georgia.
Outside groups and Democrats spent over $173 million on anti-data center ads, while the data center industry spent $1.5 million in support of Republican candidates. The outcome suggests strong public opposition to data center development.
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