Data centers have emerged as an unlikely bipartisan flashpoint heading into the 2026 midterms, Newsweek reported Saturday, highlighting that the issue is now reverberating through all six Senate races rated toss-ups by the Cook Political Report.
Voters on the left and right are increasingly worried that the artificial intelligence boom could leave their communities footing the bill through higher electricity costs, strained water supplies, and fewer jobs.
An Annenberg Public Policy Center poll found 61% of Americans oppose new data centers in their communities, including 69% of Democrats and 54% of Republicans.
Annenberg research analyst Shawn Patterson told Newsweek that a 12-point increase in opposition this year was ”not confined to a partisan subgroup.”
The backlash has created a political tightrope for candidates trying to balance America’s race with China for dominance in AI against increasingly vocal voters who question the local costs of the massive facilities needed to power it.
President Donald Trump has warned communities rejecting data centers risk being ”left behind,” while House Speaker Mike Johnson has cautioned that moratoriums could surrender ground to China.
At the same time, Republican governors, Democratic candidates, and local officials across the country have pushed for greater scrutiny, restrictions or pauses on development.
The underlying pressures are substantial.
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory estimated in June that data centers could consume 11.8% of all U.S. electricity by 2030, with scenarios ranging from 9.5% to 15.3%.
The International Energy Agency says data centers accounted for roughly half of the growth in U.S. electricity demand in 2025 and are expected to account for about half of the country’s additional electricity demand through 2030.