{
  "id": 9834703,
  "title": "Abdul El-Sayed Gets Boost in Michigan as Voters Sour on AI Data Centers",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/25/abdul-el-sayed-gets-boost-in-michigan-as-voters-sour-on-ai-data",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-09-25T20:34:43.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Newsweek",
    "slug": "newsweek",
    "url": "https://www.newsweek.com/abdul-el-sayed-gets-boost-in-michigan-as-voters-sour-on-ai-data-centers-12490993"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "As artificial intelligence and the data centers that support it gain traction, progressive Democratic candidate Abdul El-Sayed is capitalizing on the backlash in Michigan's U.S. Senate race. According to a New York Times/Siena poll, 46% of Michigan voters trust El-Sayed to manage AI and data centers, compared to 35% who support Republican former Representative Mike Rogers. Skepticism surrounds the technology, with 66% opposing new AI data centers and 29% backing them. El-Sayed's advantage on this issue surpasses his overall lead in the race, where he leads 49% to 44% among likely voters. The poll, which surveyed 605 Michigan residents from September 15-22 with a margin of error of ±4.9 percentage points, marks the second-largest lead for El-Sayed in any September survey, following the Suffolk University poll from the previous day. The poll highlights generational and age-related divides, with El-Sayed leading among 18-29-year-olds by 71 points and among 30-44-year-olds by 21 points. Rogers leads among voters aged 45-64 by 16 points and those 65 and older by 5 points. El-Sayed's stance on data centers has become a key campaign issue, with him advocating for moratoriums on new facilities until federal rules ensure union jobs, prevent utility bill hikes, protect water resources, and fund power-grid investments. Despite Rogers' recent reversal, his stance on data centers has put him at odds with the White House, which has criticized communities opposing the technology.",
  "summary": "A new poll found that 46 percent of Michigan voters trust Abdul El-Sayed more than Mike Rogers to handle AI and data centers.",
  "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."
}