Midterm Voters Reject Data Center Expansion, Creating New Obstacles

Voters in the 2026 midterms opposed data center expansion, leading to a more restrictive building environment.

After the 2026 midterms, data center developers face a more restrictive building environment as voters across the country supported candidates favoring moratoriums and ballot measures that impede expansion. This outcome delivers a significant blow to a central pillar of the AI industry. Opposition to data centers crossed party lines, with voters in various states pushing back against the AI buildout despite millions spent by pro-AI super PACs.

An NBC exit poll revealed that more than half of respondents believe AI will do more harm than good, and almost 80% are against data center construction in their neighborhoods. Nearly 60% of voters considered data centers a crucial or major factor in their vote. This anti-data center sentiment was particularly evident in Ohio, where a county planning a 700,000-square-foot facility passed a ban on data centers, and local communities voted against buildout measures. Candidates in Texas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, and South Carolina also won seats after opposing rapid data center expansion.

Likely next steps include more construction moratoriums or requirements for data centers to fund their own power grid upgrades. Goldman Sachs predicts data center construction delays in states like Georgia and Texas due to Democratic gains. Democratic control of Congress could also improve the odds for bills proposing a nationwide moratorium on new data centers until new guardrails are added, ensuring the buildout does not raise electricity costs, harm the environment, or proceed without community approval.

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