How Are Data Centers Influencing Voters This Midterm Election?

The increase in data centers across the US is influencing voters ahead of midterm elections. Outlets across the political spectrum noted how the topic has split both voters and candidates, while some outlets on the left highlighted the turn against Republican candidates.

Data Center Construction: Data from Cleanview Research shows that 75% of data centers under construction and 80% of data centers in the planning stages are located in predominantly Republican states. A CBS News (Lean Left bias) and YouGov (Center) poll showed that 50% of Americans opposed data center construction in their area and that many believed they would create short-term jobs but not long-term jobs. CBS reported that while more Republicans think data centers are needed for competitiveness, a majority of them opposed the construction of data centers near them.

In State Races: Fox News (Right) reported that data centers-related policies were on seven ballots, including in California, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Nevada, Ohio and Wisconsin, which it said "underscor[es] how quickly data centers have become a political flashpoint." It noted divides in elections across the country, including in Texas where candidates debated tax breaks for data centers, meanwhile Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) paused data center permitting.

The Economist (Lean Left) argued President Trump's messaging around data center development "isn't landing with his own supporters" and highlighted races in Nevada, Colorado and Ohio where Democrats were campaigning on stricter restrictions on data centers. CBS also reported some Republican nominees were breaking with Trump on data centers and that the issue seemed to be "the single issue where Democratic and Republican candidates sound nearly identical." The outlet reported campaigns have spent $45 million this year on ads that mention data centers — most of them in opposition.

Among Republican Voters: A Fox News found 71% of American voters opposed building a data center in their area, but that 52% supported building them in remote locations, while 44% opposed. It also reported that Republican voters more often supported AI and data centers compared to Democrat voters. Conversely, The Economist claimed that data centers were "turning Trump voters into Democrats" as the number of those planning to vote Democrat has risen from 54% to 61% among those living within a mile of a data center. It reported 17% of people living within 1.2 miles of data centers voted for Trump in 2024.

Democrat Messaging: The Hill (Center) shared a memo sent by The Tech Oversight Project, a tech watchdog group, that outlined messaging for Democrat candidates. The memo discussed the cost to voters, saying that "Big Tech companies have claimed billions in federal and state subsidies" and taxpayers are left "holding the bill." The Hill said the memo also underscored that Republicans are aware data centers are a problem for some of their candidates, including in Ohio. The outlet argued Democrats "have increasingly viewed data centers as a means of knocking their GOP opponents over cost of living and corruption concerns."

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