Data Center Advocates Back Republicans in Kansas Governor Race
WHO:
Fast Company - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s campaign spokesperson Manuel Bonder said the governor had enacted “the strictest guardrails in the nation” for data-center developers and would protect communities and utility customers.
Fast Company - Maryland Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Cox called for a moratorium on hyperscale data-center projects; Democratic Gov. Wes Moore established new developer requirements.
Fast Company - Moore said developers must “pay their own way.”
Fast Company - New York Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman said data-center developers may provide their own power generation; he opposes Kathy Hochul’s permit moratorium and says local communities should have a say.
Fast Company - Alabama Republican gubernatorial candidate Tommy Tuberville has proposed electricity-customer protections, developer-paid infrastructure, and local input on data-center projects. His Democratic opponent, Doug Jones, advocates a moratorium and criticized Tuberville over stock trades tied to AI and data-center companies; Tuberville has divested from at least one company.
Fast Company - Georgia Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson supports local control and said he would defend communities that do not want a data center and personally negotiate projects communities favor. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported another AI deal includes a 15 percent stake that could be worth $75 million.
Fast Company - Alaska Republican gubernatorial candidate Treg Taylor said data centers that generate their own energy could sell power to others and create jobs without increasing ratepayer costs if developed properly. Republican gubernatorial candidate Dave Bronson cited noise, electricity demand, and cooling challenges; running mate Josh Church said data centers benefit national security and could let Alaska export digital products and services.
Fast Company - Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an executive order imposing energy standards and local approval requirements for proposed data centers and removing AI data centers from a state accelerated-permitting program. He had previously approved accelerated reviews for Amazon’s proposed $20 billion data-center effort in Pennsylvania.
Fast Company - California Republican U.S. Rep. Jay Obernolte proposed siting data centers closer to power plants and evaluating liquid cooling.
Fast Company - Tennessee Republican gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn supports expanding nuclear power for data centers, has opposed a proposed facility near the Nashville Zoo, and said placement should be thoughtful.
NBC News - Building the Future, a pro-data-center super PAC and offshoot of pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, is backing Kansas Republican state Sen. Ty Masterson in the governor’s race.
NBC News - Leading the Future is backed by AI-industry figures and is described as a leading super PAC promoting industry interests in the midterm elections.
NBC News - Democratic gubernatorial candidate and state Rep. Sharice Davids’ opponent, House Minority Leader Stephanie Holscher, criticized Masterson as a “stooge for Big Tech.” Masterson did not immediately comment.
NBC News - Building the Future also plans to advertise for Republican Sen. Darline Graham in South Carolina’s Senate race; her Democratic opponent is Annie Andrews.
Fast Company - The article describes politicians across the country who support data-center development, support it conditionally, or have called for restrictions; positions do not fall strictly along party lines.
WHAT:
Fast Company - The article says Shapiro’s stricter data-center requirements mark a reversal from his earlier support for projects, including Amazon’s proposed $20 billion data-center effort.
Fast Company - Tuberville has suggested that China may be amplifying opposition to data centers.
Fast Company - The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that an AI deal connected to Jackson includes a 15 percent stake that could be worth $75 million.
Fast Company - Blackburn has opposed plans for a data center near the Nashville Zoo.
NBC News - Build American AI announced a multimillion-dollar ad campaign seeking to promote preferred data-center policies in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
NBC News - South Carolina candidate Darline Graham supports local control over data-center construction; her opponent, Annie Andrews, has called her “Data Center Darline.”
Fast Company - Shapiro’s executive order removed AI data centers from Pennsylvania’s accelerated-permitting program and imposed energy standards and local-approval requirements.
Fast Company - Republican Alaska gubernatorial candidate Dave Bronson said data centers could bring “a lot of money” and emphasized independent power generation and addressing environmental concerns.
Fast Company - Republican Tennessee gubernatorial candidate Marsha Blackburn said data-center development must balance innovation with responsible growth.
Fast Company - Republican Alaska lieutenant-gubernatorial candidate Josh Church said data centers could help prevent U.S. dependence on foreign technology.
Fast Company - Kathy Hochul said Bruce Blakeman wants “fossil fuel generating factories spewing smoke everywhere” and data centers using “our rare farmland.”
Fast Company - Tommy Tuberville said data centers are “one of the few ways that we can make millions of dollars for this state” and suggested China may be amplifying opposition to them.
Fast Company - Rick Jackson described criticism of data centers as “misinformation” and defended his Texas project investment as passive, saying it could raise local property-tax revenues.
Fast Company - Josh Church said Alaska could export digital products and services worldwide using high-speed fiber optics and potentially satellite communications, without shipping physical goods.
Fast Company - Jay Obernolte said data centers are important to keeping America the “global leader in AI.”
Fast Company - Marsha Blackburn has advocated greater use of coal power and said data-center development should “always serve the interests of Tennesseans first and foremost.”
Fast Company - Bruce Blakeman said of data-center power needs, “many of these developers are willing to put their own generation into those plants.”
Fast Company - Blackburn said, “Data centers are going to be a good and important part of Tennessee’s economic growth, but we’ve got to be thoughtful about their placement.”
NBC News - Building the Future is spending more than $1.5 million to support Masterson, according to a person familiar with the spending.
NBC News - The New York Times reported that Building the Future is also set to spend about $1.5 million on advertising to support Graham.
NBC News - In Kansas, Masterson opposed moratoriums and defended a 2025 law he voted for that granted sales-tax exemptions for data-center investments. Holscher also voted for the law but later called for a statewide moratorium.
NBC News - Holscher said Masterson would “put a data center on every corner and in every cornfield,” give developers tax breaks while Kansans’ costs rise, and that she would fight for guardrails.
NBC News - Building the Future said it would support candidates favoring policies to protect communities and water resources, prevent electricity-bill increases, sustain U.S. AI leadership, and create well-paying American jobs.
Fast Company - The article reports that politicians’ data-center positions include local approval, energy protections, developer-funded infrastructure, and restrictions, as public opposition grows.
WHERE:
Fast Company - Shapiro’s data-center executive order applies in Pennsylvania.
Fast Company - The article discusses data-center positions in New York, Alabama, Georgia, Alaska, Pennsylvania, California, and Tennessee; Jackson has faced questions about an investment in a Texas data-center project.
NBC News - The spending backs Masterson in Kansas, where Republicans are seeking to flip a Democratic-controlled governorship; the race is rated “leaning Republican” by the Cook Political Report.
NBC News - Kansas also has a competitive Senate race between Republican Sen. Roger Marshall and Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton.
NBC News - Data-center development is a contentious issue in Kansas, South Carolina, and other states.
WHEN:
NBC News - The article says the spending was disclosed Monday; it gives no calendar date for that disclosure.
WHY:
Fast Company - The article says Americans’ concerns about data centers include land use, rising household utility bills, and environmental degradation.
Fast Company - Church said Alaska’s high energy costs and expensive shipping routes have made it difficult to attract manufacturing and other industries; digital industries could avoid the expense of physically transporting goods.
Fast Company - Dan Cox and Wes Moore had both previously supported measures encouraging the data-center industry, according to Fast Company.
NBC News - The spending comes as opposition to data-center development intensifies and the facilities needed for AI growth become an issue for voters.
NBC News - Graham has described data-center investments as necessary for national security; Andrews has called for a moratorium on new projects.
HOW:
NBC News - Building the Future was formed after Build American AI announced its ad campaign and the political group’s creation.
NBC News - Building the Future is spending through political advertising; its formation was announced by nonprofit Build American AI, part of the Leading the Future network, alongside a multimillion-dollar policy-ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
(UPDATED October 28, 2026 14:01 UTC)
Across the country, candidates and governors are debating how to balance data-center investment with its effects on power bills, water, land and local communities, with positions cutting across party lines. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has tightened rules by requiring energy standards and local approval and removing AI data centers from accelerated permitting, while other leaders favor approaches such as developer-funded infrastructure, independent power generation or moratoriums. Data-center politics is also drawing major campaign spending, including a pro-industry super PAC backing Kansas Republican Ty Masterson and planning ads for South Carolina Republican Darline Graham, while opponents warn that tax breaks and unchecked development could raise costs for residents.
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(UPDATED October 28, 2026 09:00 UTC)
Data-center development is becoming a major campaign issue, with candidates across the country weighing economic and AI benefits against concerns about electricity bills, water, noise, farmland and local control. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has imposed energy standards and local-approval requirements while removing AI data centers from the state’s accelerated-permitting program, and officials elsewhere have proposed measures such as developer-funded infrastructure, independent power generation or moratoriums. A pro-data-center super PAC is spending more than $1.5 million to support Kansas gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson and plans about $1.5 million in advertising for South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham, while their opponents argue for stronger protections for communities and utility customers.
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(UPDATED October 28, 2026 00:09 UTC)
Data-center development is becoming a campaign issue nationwide, with candidates weighing local control, electricity costs and AI leadership as public opposition grows. A pro-data-center super PAC is spending more than $1.5 million to support Kansas gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson and plans about $1.5 million in ads backing South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham; Masterson opposes moratoriums, while his opponent Stephanie Holscher is calling for a statewide pause and stronger safeguards. Across other states, proposals range from developer-funded power and infrastructure to local approval rules and moratoriums, with positions cutting across party lines.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 19:06 UTC)
A pro-data-center super PAC is spending more than $1.5 million to support Kansas gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson, who opposes moratoriums, and plans to spend about $1.5 million backing South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham. The spending comes as data centers become a contentious campaign issue, with critics warning about higher electricity costs and calling for limits, while supporters point to jobs, national security, and U.S. leadership in artificial intelligence. Candidates across the country are taking varied positions, including proposals for local approval, developer-funded power and infrastructure, energy protections, and restrictions on where data centers can be built.
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(UPDATED October 27, 2026 18:03 UTC)
A pro-data-center super PAC called Building the Future is spending more than $1.5 million to support Kansas Republican gubernatorial candidate Ty Masterson, as opposition to data-center development becomes a campaign issue. The group, an offshoot of the pro-AI network Leading the Future, is also planning about $1.5 million in advertising for Republican Senator Darline Graham in South Carolina, where her opponent, Annie Andrews, has called for a pause on new projects. In Kansas, Masterson opposes a moratorium and has defended tax breaks for data centers, while his opponent, Stephanie Holscher, now supports a statewide pause and says she would put safeguards in place.