Voters are fed up with data centers. Both parties are trying to cash in for midterms

Data Centers Feature in Political Advertising Across Multiple 2026 Races

A person holds signs during a nationwide protest against AI data center expansion in New Port Richey, Florida on July 18, 2026.

Thomas Simonetti/AFP via Getty Images

In campaign advertisements broadcast in states including Georgia and Iowa, candidates from both major parties have addressed the expansion of data centers that support artificial intelligence operations. An analysis by NPR of political advertising data from AdImpact showed that campaigns and outside groups spent more than $45 million on advertisements referencing data centers in gubernatorial, House, and Senate contests from January through August 2026.

Spending by the two parties was nearly equal during this period, with more than $22 million supporting Republican candidates and more than $21 million supporting Democratic candidates. Independent expenditures accounted for the remainder. Democratic campaigns and groups aired nearly twice as many such advertisements as Republican ones—127 compared with 67—and distributed them across a wider set of states and races. The advertisements appeared most frequently in states with competitive contests, including Wisconsin and Michigan.

The number of advertisements mentioning data centers increased over the months examined. Mentions rose from a small number in January to 62 in June, more than 110 in July, and approximately 164 in August. A Reuters/Ipsos poll conducted in June found that 77 percent of respondents expressed concern that data centers would increase electricity costs. Two-thirds of Democratic respondents and half of Republican respondents indicated they would oppose construction of a data center in their community.

Michael Franz, co-director of the Wesleyan Media Project, stated that the topic supplies arguments useful to both parties. He noted that Democrats can connect the facilities to environmental issues while Republicans can present criticism of data centers as opposition to large corporations. Franz described the alignment as one in which positions associated with different factions within each party converge on this subject.

Advertisements from both parties have linked data centers to increases in energy costs. An advertisement by the Believe in Wisconsin PAC supporting Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Crowley, for which the group spent $634,795 in August, stated that Crowley would act to prevent AI data centers from causing energy bills to rise. Florida Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds described himself as opposing data centers that increase utility rates, with the Friends of Byron Donalds PAC spending more than $2.5 million to air the advertisement. Comparable advertisements appeared in support of Democrat Rob Sand in Iowa and Republican Ty Masterson in Kansas.

A Republican Party operative who spoke to NPR on condition of anonymity said the party has not issued a public statement on data centers because positions within the party differ. The operative stated that one frequently expressed view is that data centers could be acceptable if they cover their own energy costs, while also noting that the facilities are viewed as relevant to competition with China and to local employment. Olivia Davis, a spokeswoman for the Democratic Governors Association, said data centers have generated concerns about affordability and utility costs, which explains their inclusion in paid media.

More than half of Republican spending on advertisements mentioning data centers occurred in Georgia, which accounted for about 30 percent of all such spending. Georgia’s gubernatorial race recorded the highest total expenditure on these advertisements at $12.8 million across nine advertisements. Six of the advertisements opposed Republican Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, who lost the June runoff to Rick Jackson. Some of these advertisements were produced by Georgians for Integrity, a group that has spent millions on advertisements critical of Jones since 2025; the advertisements connected data centers to claims regarding Jones’ positions on tax policy.

In Ohio’s Senate race, supporters of Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown spent millions on advertisements describing Republican Sen. Jon Husted as associated with data centers and stating that he supported more than $2.5 billion in tax breaks for corporations while electric bills increased. An internal memo from the National Republican Senatorial Committee, first reported by Axios, identified the Ohio race and described data centers as a notable issue for the election cycle, indicating that a Husted loss could affect how other politicians approach the industry.

Husted has not run advertisements on the topic. He supported data center development while serving as lieutenant governor but later introduced legislation intended to shield ratepayers from higher electric rates associated with data centers. In an interview with Spectrum News, Husted said his position has remained consistent, citing earlier efforts to require the companies to pay local property taxes and to hire locally.

Gubernatorial races accounted for the largest share of spending on advertisements mentioning data centers, totaling about $32 million. House races followed with $8 million, and Senate races accounted for roughly $5.3 million. Darrell M. West, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution’s Center for Technology Innovation, stated that the federal government does not hold primary responsibility for permitting new data centers and that governors face pressure from local opposition to limit new construction.

The topic has also appeared in some Senate contests. Texas Democratic Senate nominee James Talarico has stated that the federal government should take a role in the matter. West noted that Republican candidates have sought to slow data center development in response to voter opposition, even though the party has generally presented itself as supportive of business interests. President Trump has encouraged states to continue building data centers while acknowledging that the projects may require additional public communication efforts. West stated that Trump’s position has not aligned with shifts in public opinion on the issue.

The pattern of advertising reflects the concentration of competitive races and the measurable increase in public attention to electricity costs and local development decisions tied to data centers. Spending data from AdImpact and polling from Reuters/Ipsos provide the primary quantitative measures cited in coverage of the topic through August 2026.