Midterm rout for data centers: Voters in nearly 40 towns rejected projects
Mother Jones, republishing a Capital B article, reports that voters in nearly 40 towns across 10 states rejected data center projects in the 2026 midterms, with only Harwood, North Dakota going the tech industry's way; 77 percent voted against development, and Black Voters Matter organizer Jamil Davis says utility bills and data centers dominated his door-knocking in Florida. The article frames the results as tied to environmental racism, noting tech companies and allies outspent local campaigns roughly 100 to 1, while Elon Musk spent $474 million backing pro-AI candidates — the largest single-donor total ever.
