Data Centers Were the Big Loser of the Midterms

Newsweek · Alex J. Rouhandeh · 2026-11-04 16:32 UTC

Newsweek found that lawmakers with records most in favor of accelerating data centers were most likely to lose their reelections.

Republicans were not the only big losers of the 2026 midterms—the artificial intelligence (AI) industry lost, as well. After data centers became the focus of numerous campaigns, lawmakers with records most in favor of accelerating AI adoption were most likely to be among the defeated incumbents.

Newsweek’s AI Policy Scorecard rated every sitting member of Congress based on their voting records and public statements on AI policy on a scale of 1, AI Skeptic, to 5, AI Booster.

At the time of publication, the incumbents who lost had mostly booster scores: two of the five incumbent Republican senators who were defeated, or 40 percent, had AI booster scores, while a third, Darline Graham of South Carolina, was the biggest recipient of AI booster campaign donations of the cycle. In the House, 83 percent of the House Republicans who lost, or 25 of 30, were also AI boosters or had a policy score over 3.

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