How Democrats used anger over data centers to flip red states
Democratic campaigns successfully leveraged local opposition to data center construction to flip traditionally Republican districts in the recent midterm elections. Voters expressed significant concerns regarding the environmental and community impact of these facilities, which Democrats used to frame their opponents' policies.
Why it matters
This highlights a new intersection between local land-use politics and national technology policy, showing how infrastructure concerns can influence electoral outcomes.
As the dust settled on Election Night, Democratic operatives working to elect James Talarico were surprised by the breadth of his victory across Texas’ 254 counties. But even then, one area stood out. Kaufman County, southeast of Dallas, is the site of two massive data center projects that have sparked local backlash. The largest city in the county, Forney, is already working to outlaw new data centers within its city limits. The solidly red county was one of 55 counties where a pro-Talarico super PAC, Lone Star Rising PAC, targeted voters within 5 miles of a proposed or approved data center project. The PAC sent them a series of mail pieces and digital ads blaming the project on the Republican nominee, Ken Paxton.
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