AI data centers took a beating in the midterm elections. A reckoning may be ahead for tech giants

ITV News · ITV News · 2026-11-06 05:08 UTC

Opposition to artificial intelligence data centers was part of midterm races across the U.S., with campaigns featuring them in hundreds of millions of dollars'…

HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — After a campaign season filled with outrage against artificial intelligence data centers, the midterm elections ushered in a wave of Democrats pledging to clamp down on the energy-hungry behemoths.

A tougher regulatory environment for AI giants and data center developers is expected to follow, even if President Donald Trump — perhaps the industry’s biggest champion — stalls any federal crackdown.

Data center regulation itself was not on most midterm ballots, and it wasn't among the top issues for most voters. But hard-line stances against the server warehouses were woven into the platforms of many candidates, including the Democrats who upended longtime Republican control of the governorships in Texas, Ohio, Georgia, Nevada and Iowa, many of which are data center hot spots.

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