He Ran on Fighting Data Centers. Now, He’s Going to Congress
Will Lawrence, a candidate who campaigned against the expansion of data centers, has won a seat in the U.S. Congress. His victory reflects growing voter concerns regarding the environmental and economic impact of large-scale tech infrastructure in local communities.
Why it matters
This election result signals a potential shift in how local communities and federal regulators approach the rapid growth of the tech industry's physical footprint.
If there’s any incoming congressional freshman who understands how voter anger about data centers supercharged this week’s election, it’s Will Lawrence.
A former member of the Democratic Socialists of America who helped found the Sunrise Movement, Lawrence centered his campaign on opposition to data centers from the beginning, months before many other candidates had caught on. It helped him win a challenging primary in Michigan’s 7th Congressional District against much-better-funded opponents, and this week, he defeated incumbent Republican Tom Barrett in one of the most expensive House races in the country. (Elon Musk’s America PAC chipped in $340,000 against Lawrence.)
For this last edition of Power Play, I caught up with Lawrence about what the future holds for data center developers and for voters concerned about them, and what his plans are when he gets to Washington, DC, next year.
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