{
  "id": 18146540,
  "title": "Data Centers Were the Big Loser of the Midterms",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/11/04/data-centers-were-the-big-loser-of-the-midterms",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-11-04T16:32:20.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/ai-politics/data-centers-were-the-big-loser-of-the-midterms-12665187"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The 2026 midterms proved a setback not only for Republicans, but also for the AI industry. As lawmakers with a penchant for hastening AI adoption found themselves among the defeated incumbents, data centers emerged as a focal point of numerous campaigns. The AI Policy Scorecard, a tool used to evaluate Congress members' views on AI policy, revealed that most of the defeated incumbents were AI boosters. Two out of five defeated Republican senators, and a third of defeated Republican House members, had AI booster scores. In the House, 87 percent of the Republican members who lost were also AI boosters. Notable losses included Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Jon Husted of Ohio, and Gabe Evans of Colorado. Meanwhile, Democrats scored far lower on the issue of data centers, with an average Lean Skeptic score of 1.97 compared to Republicans' 3.64 Lean Booster score. This rift on data centers was one of the most discussed topics among voters, who expressed strong opposition to constructing AI data centers in their communities. South Carolina saw a particularly shocking Senate flip, where Republican Senator Graham lost to Dr. Annie Andrews, who accused her opponent of being a \"Data Center Darline\" and critic of the president's data center policies. The political divide over data centers was fueled by concerns over rising costs and corruption, with many voters feeling that data center builders were benefiting from tax breaks and donations while causing higher utility bills and water shortages. The Democratic Party's focus on Trump's administration and his alleged enrichment of friends and family, coupled with the president's vocal support for data centers, further exacerbated the partisan divide. Republican efforts to pass the Ratepayer Protection Act, aimed at preventing consumers and small businesses from paying for the electrical grid upgrades necessary for data centers, failed to pass. The bill's sponsor, Ohio Senator Jon Husted, lost his reelection bid to former Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown. The Trump Administration's heavy investment in AI and its support for the industry as a driver of economic growth did little to sway voters, who remained more concerned about the technology's potential risks than its economic benefits.",
  "summary": "Newsweek found that lawmakers with records most in favor of accelerating data centers were most likely to lose their reelections.",
  "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."
}