Voters Reject AI Data Centers in 2026 Midterms

WHO:

Wired - Voters and candidates in high-profile Senate races and local rezoning initiatives participated in decisions involving data centers.

Fast Company - President Donald Trump supported the data center industry and AI companies.

Fast Company - Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro, a Democrat, won a second term.

Fast Company - Georgia Democrat Keisha Lance Bottoms won her race for governor.

Fast Company - Texas Governor Greg Abbott lost his reelection bid; Democrat Gina Hinojosa, his opponent, was governor-elect.

Fast Company - South Carolina Democrat Annie Andrews defeated Republican Darline Graham, who was seeking to keep her late brother Lindsey Graham’s Senate seat.

Fast Company - The data center industry created a super PAC that set aside $1.5 million in advertising to support Darline Graham.

Fast Company - Midterm campaigns and outside groups spent more than $173 million on anti-data-center advertising: $140 million from Democrats and $28 million from Republicans.

Fast Company - Texas had more than 781 data centers operating, under construction, or planned across nearly 300 campuses, according to Cleanview.

NY Post - Elon Musk and other technology executives were among those pushing for a large data center buildout.

WHAT:

Wired - Data centers and their supporters performed poorly in the 2026 midterm elections.

Fast Company - Voters chose to ban or pause local data center development in 38 of 41 ballot measures; results for the other three were not yet reported, according to Ballotpedia.

Fast Company - Of 38 measures with reported results, 28 had at least 70% support for banning or pausing development, and 13 had at least 80%.

Fast Company - In Edgewater, Florida, more than 77% voted to amend the city charter to “prohibit the approval, construction, expansion, or operation of new data centers.”

Fast Company - In Ashville, Ohio, more than 81% voted against maintaining the village’s deal with EdgeConneX for two data centers and on-site natural gas across nearly 200 acres.

Fast Company - In Grove City, Ohio, 55% supported requiring public approval for certain data center projects.

Fast Company - Shapiro signed an executive order restricting certain projects and requiring local officials’ approval.

Fast Company - Bottoms made a statewide data center pause a key campaign promise.

Fast Company - Hinojosa campaigned for a new construction moratorium, an end to data center tax breaks, and tighter water- and power-use regulations. She called Abbott’s temporary moratorium a “scam.”

Fast Company - Trump wrote “let Data Reign” on Truth Social.

NY Post - Voters overwhelmingly rejected AI data centers, a setback for technology executives promoting expansion.

WHERE:

Fast Company - Ballot measures addressed data center development in 38 districts across the country.

Fast Company - Georgia is a leading state for data center development; Texas is a major data center hub.

Fast Company - The Senate race involving Darline Graham and Annie Andrews was in South Carolina.

WHEN:

WHY:

Fast Company - Hinojosa opposed data center development and proposed limits on construction, tax incentives, and resource use.

Fast Company - Shapiro said, “We will not be bulldozed by the lawyers working for these big tech companies.”

HOW:

Fast Company - Ballot measures asked voters to prohibit data centers, allow development, or uphold specific data center agreements.

Fast Company - The industry backed candidates through a super PAC and advertising.

(UPDATED November 4, 2026 21:10 UTC)

Voters rejected or paused data center development in 38 of 41 local measures. Texas Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Greg Abbott, campaigning to curb data center growth. Industry-backed candidates struggled, while campaigns spent more than $173 million opposing data centers.