Data Centers Were the Big Loser of the Midterms
Summary
The article says data center opposition became a prominent issue in the 2026 midterms and that many defeated Republican incumbents had records supporting AI adoption. It links voter concerns about electricity bills, water use, and costs to campaigns criticizing data center projects and their political supporters.Key Facts
- Newsweek's AI Policy Scorecard rated sitting members of Congress from 1, labeled AI Skeptic, to 5, labeled AI Booster, based on votes and public statements.
- The article says 13 of the 15 defeated House Republican incumbents were AI boosters.
- It reports that two of the five defeated Republican senators had AI booster scores and that Darline Graham received $4.5 million in AI-related campaign support.
- The article identifies Ashley Hinson of Iowa and Jon Husted of Ohio among the defeated Senate incumbents with booster scores.
- The scorecard gave congressional Republicans an average data center score of 3.64 and Democrats an average of 1.97.
- A Gallup survey cited in the article found that seven in 10 Americans opposed building an AI data center in their community.
- Democratic candidate Annie Andrews criticized South Carolina Senator Darline Graham in campaign ads over her support for data centers.
- President Donald Trump publicly supported data centers, writing in an August Truth Social post that communities should not oppose them.
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