Voters block AI data center expansion in midterms
Midterm election voters in over 40 races across 13 states rejected proposals connected to data centers, delivering a clear setback to the industry’s expansion efforts. In 38 of those contests, voters opposed new facilities or strengthened existing limits, while six cities enacted outright bans. Another 12 localities imposed power consumption caps, reflecting widespread opposition to the infrastructure driving AI progress.
The rejection extended beyond local elections. Candidates who supported data center development lost statewide races, including Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who had promoted the state as a leading center for AI infrastructure. His campaign received over $9 million in donations from data center-related interests, and his administration approved more than 300 facilities—with plans to double that total. During a 2025 press conference with Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Abbott called Texas the “epicenter of AI development,” but his defeat by more than 700,000 votes signaled a major shift in public sentiment.
Abbott’s loss came after his administration attempted to slow approvals amid rising opposition. A temporary halt on new projects was announced, but regulators continued processing permits until a state website was taken offline following reports by 404 Media. The incoming Texas governor, Gina Hinojosa, campaigned directly against Abbott’s data center policies, using his own 2025 press conference statements as part of her argument.
Local leaders face backlash over AI infrastructure
In Kentucky, George Hensley, the mayor of Burgin, lost reelection after approving a hyperscale data center project. His opponent, Joe Monroe, ran solely on opposition to the facility and won through a write-in campaign. Emporia, Kansas, passed a ban on high-impact data centers after a schoolteacher was arrested for clapping during a city meeting on a related proposal. In Yukon, Oklahoma, a mayor faced a recall election after endorsing a hyperscale project and lost.
Advocacy groups like Local Progress, a network of local elected officials, described the election results as a rejection of both the facilities and the corporate influence behind them. “These midterms sent a clear message — people don’t want to see data centers in their backyards,” Michael Whitesides, the group’s deputy communications director, said. “Across the country, people do not see the promised benefit of these data centers, and the AI they power, playing out in their daily lives.
They’re seeing basic goods and services get more expensive while these billionaire-backed monstrosities take up space in their community, poison their air, and drive up their utility bills.” The group pointed to victories in Asheville, North Carolina, where Kim Rooney became mayor after opposing a data center, and San Marcos, Texas, where Amanda Rodrigues won on a similar platform.
Whitesides noted that Rooney and Rodrigues, both Local Progress members, were elected after running anti-data center campaigns. He added, “Big Tech will continue its typical playbook of trying to buy and bully local officials into complying with their demands for more data center development, but our hope is that last night’s results are a clear signal to local leaders that they can resist and their community will back them up.”
Tech giants pivot after voter pushback
Elon Musk, a key backer of data center expansion, encountered setbacks in Texas, where he spent $224 million on midterm campaigns. His first public comment after the election came late, posted on X: “Data centers in space looking pretty appealing right now.” The remark suggested a potential shift in strategy following resistance to land-based projects.
