{
  "id": 14066332,
  "title": "Data center boom puts GOP in a bind before midterm elections",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/data-center-boom-puts-gop-in-a-bind-before-midterm-elections",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T23:28:44.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBS News",
    "slug": "cbs-news",
    "url": "https://www.cbsnews.com/news/data-center-boom-republicans-2026-midterm-elections/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A year ago, data centers were not a topic of much discussion among voters. However, the construction of these facilities to meet the soaring energy demands of the AI boom has become a contentious issue in the 2026 midterm elections. The surge in data centers is creating a rift between the Trump administration and Republican candidates in state and federal races.\n\nInitially, most data centers were built in blue states. Yet, by 2025, 68% of the operational centers were situated in red states. Currently, 75% of data centers currently under construction and 80% of those in the planning phase are located in predominantly Republican states, according to data from Cleanview Research, an independent energy market intelligence company.\n\nRed states have a history of accepting large, energy-intensive infrastructure projects, despite potential negative impacts on communities, notes Chris Millay, a data center analyst at the macroeconomic consultancy Greenmantle. He attributes this to the relative absence of environmental regulations and the availability of open land in rural states.\n\nPresident Trump views the AI race as crucial for the economy and national security. At an Ohio rally, he emphasized the economic benefits of data centers, stating that they cannot be shut down; otherwise, they would move to China. He has dismissed public opposition to data centers, claiming that only those desiring a backward and impoverished nation would oppose them.\n\nMoreover, Trump has resisted regulation, although he has urged developers to contribute to local communities through education, lower taxes, job creation, and energy cost protections. The majority of communities residing near data centers are expressing concerns about their property values, noise, higher energy bills, and resource depletion. Calls for moratoriums are gaining momentum across the country, with opposition to data centers outpacing support by a margin of 30 points, according to polls.\n\nWhile the majority of Republicans oppose the construction of data centers near their residences, some of the president's closest allies have started to diverge from his stance. In Texas, the state with the most data centers under construction, Governor Greg Abbott has temporarily halted environmental permits and grid connections for new data centers. Abbott, who is contesting for a fourth term, is engaged in a highly competitive race against Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a fellow Republican, seeks to abolish Texas' sales tax break for data centers and holds them criminally liable if they power AI chatbots that endanger children.\n\nData centers have emerged as an issue where Republican and Democratic candidates' positions are nearly identical. Amy Acton, the Democratic nominee for governor in Ohio, has called for a conditional moratorium on data centers, while her Republican opponent, Vivek Ramaswamy, has proposed an executive order to halt the approval of new data center projects in Ohio until a \"Ohioans-First\" law is enacted. A recent New York Times/Siena poll indicates that data centers are a weak point for Ohio Republican Senator Jon Husted, with voters favoring his Democratic opponent by an 11-point margin on this issue.\n\nIn the campaign, data centers have been a focal point for political advertising. Campaigns in the United States have invested $45 million this year on ads that mention data centers, primarily in opposition to the development. In Georgia, where candidates have spent nearly $13 million on data center-related ads, Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson supports President Trump and endorses the construction of data centers, emphasizing the potential benefits, such as reduced property taxes for homeowners. However, the Democratic candidate, Keisha Lance Bottoms, advocates for a temporary moratorium on construction, citing environmental concerns. Jackson has defended data centers, stating that they can be beneficial if communities receive the intended advantages, like reduced property taxes. The outcome of how Republican candidates will align themselves on this issue will likely determine the fate of these projects.",
  "summary": "Cleanview Research found 75% of data centers being built and 80% of data centers in the planning stage are in predominantly GOP states, as public opposition to data centers grows.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}