Data Center Backlash 2026: 7 Major Ways It’s Reshaping the Midterms

The data center backlash sweeping the country has grown into one of the most unusual political forces heading into the 2026 midterm elections, uniting conservative and progressive voters who rarely agree on anything else. Now, the leaders of one of the AI industry’s biggest political groups say they’re gearing up for a much bigger fight over the issue in the months ahead.

Josh Vlasto and Zac Moffatt, the bipartisan strategist team running the pro-AI super PAC Leading the Future, say the political battles over data centers are still in the early stages. In a new interview, the two described a multi-cycle effort to shape public opinion and elect candidates friendly to the AI industry, even as opposition to new data center projects keeps spreading from state to state.

Here’s what’s driving the data center backlash, how the AI industry is responding, and why the issue could play an outsized role in this year’s elections.

What’s Fueling the Data Center Backlash?

AI data centers, the massive facilities that house the computing hardware needed to train and run artificial intelligence systems, are being built across the country at a rapid pace. These projects require enormous amounts of land, electricity and water, and residents in many communities say they’re already feeling the effects.

Rising electricity bills tied to the power demands of nearby data centers have become a central complaint. With the 2026 midterms just months away and Americans already dealing with high grocery prices and gas costs, data centers have become, for many voters, a visible symbol of frustration with the broader costs associated with AI.

The backlash has taken different forms depending on the community. Conservative critics have focused on property rights, rising electricity prices and the loss of local control over land use. Progressive and environmental groups have raised concerns about water consumption, pollution and strain on regional power grids. In Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has paused approvals for new large-scale data center connections to the state’s power grid, even though he had previously championed the industry’s growth there.

A Rare Bipartisan Alliance

What makes the data center backlash notable is how it’s crossing traditional political lines. Jay Stanley, a senior policy analyst with the American Civil Liberties Union, said public frustration with AI, data centers and the influence of major tech companies folds neatly into a broader wave of skepticism toward the tech industry.

Ohio Lt. Gov. Jon Husted told a local news outlet that data center projects have, in his view, earned the backlash they’re now facing. Meanwhile, in Texas, both Gov. Abbott and Senate candidate Ken Paxton have proposed new restrictions on data center growth, despite both men having previously celebrated the industry’s expansion in the state.

Some of the opposition has taken more lighthearted forms. In August, the beverage brands Liquid Death and Garage Beer, the latter co-owned by NFL stars Jason and Travis Kelce, released a satirical ad campaign poking fun at the amount of water used to cool AI data centers. The video was released the same day Florida voters headed to the polls in a gubernatorial primary where data centers had become a central campaign issue.

Leading the Future’s Response

Leading the Future, the super PAC led by Vlasto and Moffatt, has emerged as one of the most well-funded political forces defending the AI industry’s expansion. The group has raised more than $140 million since launching in August 2025, with major financial backing from venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, OpenAI President Greg Brockman and Palantir co-founder Joe Lonsdale.

The group’s affiliated nonprofit, Build American AI, recently launched a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin aimed at building public support for what the group describes as responsible data center policies. Leading the Future has also formed political organizations meant to support state and federal candidates ahead of November’s elections.

Moffatt described the effort as an extended commitment rather than a short-term campaign. He noted that roughly one in eight members of Congress are retiring this election cycle, calling it a major opportunity to build support among incoming lawmakers.

Tensions With AI Safety Groups

Leading the Future has also positioned itself in direct opposition to AI safety advocates, including the AI company Anthropic, which backs its own political spending. Vlasto criticized that approach in the interview, arguing that framing AI mainly around job losses and existential risk misrepresents what he described as the broader opportunity the technology presents.

That tension reflects a larger divide in Washington over how AI should be regulated. Leading the Future’s affiliated group, Think Big PAC, spent more than $8 million opposing New York Assemblyman Alex Bores during his 2026 Democratic primary campaign, after Bores co-sponsored a state AI safety bill requiring companies to disclose risk assessments. The group has also spent millions supporting congressional candidates in Texas, North Carolina and Illinois.

Why the Data Center Backlash Matters for 2026

Data centers have already shown up as a factor in this year’s primary elections, and strategists on both sides expect the trend to continue through November. Candidates in several states have begun highlighting anti-data center positions in their campaign ads, while protesters have shown up at public hearings and campaign events to voice opposition to new projects.

Advocacy groups like the Stop Data Centers Coalition have pushed for a national moratorium on new data center construction, arguing that lawmakers and the public need more time to evaluate the environmental and economic effects of the buildout. Whether that kind of proposal gains traction is likely to depend heavily on how competitive this year’s midterm races turn out to be.

The White House and Industry Response

The rapid growth of AI data centers has also drawn attention from the Trump administration. The White House has been preparing a plan aimed at addressing rising power costs tied to the technology’s expansion, following months of reporting on the strain data centers are placing on regional electricity grids.

Some of Leading the Future’s biggest donors, including Andreessen Horowitz co-founder Marc Andreessen and OpenAI’s Brockman, also have close ties to the Trump administration, a connection that has drawn scrutiny from watchdog groups tracking the intersection of AI industry money and federal policy.

Background: How Leading the Future Came Together

Leading the Future launched in August 2025, modeled in part after Fairshake, the cryptocurrency industry’s political spending network that successfully backed candidates during the 2024 election cycle. Vlasto previously advised Fairshake, while Moffatt leads the Republican consulting firm Targeted Victory.

The group has described its mission as bipartisan, aiming to elect candidates who support what it calls responsible, innovation-friendly AI policy rather than a state-by-state patchwork of regulations. Critics, including some AI safety advocates, argue the group’s spending record shows a pattern of opposing candidates who support AI safety measures rather than simply promoting balanced policy.

What Happens Next?

With the 2026 midterms approaching in November, both sides of the data center debate are expected to ramp up spending and campaign activity in the coming months. Build American AI’s ad campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin is likely just an early phase of a broader effort, given Leading the Future’s stated plan for a multi-cycle political engagement.

Meanwhile, local and state fights over new data center approvals are likely to continue playing out across the country, from Texas’s paused grid connections to hearings in communities like Tucson, Arizona, where residents have packed public meetings to voice concerns about new projects.