The midterms were a gut punch for tech. Here's why it's not a knockout.
The 2026 US midterm elections resulted in a 'blue wave' that poses potential regulatory challenges for the tech industry, particularly regarding AI infrastructure and data centers. Despite political headwinds and significant spending by tech figures like Elon Musk, major tech stocks remained resilient.
Why it matters
The results highlight a growing public and political divide over the environmental and social impact of AI infrastructure, signaling potential future regulatory hurdles for big tech.
NurPhoto/Getty Images This post originally appeared in the Business Insider Today newsletter. You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here . It was a bad day to be a tech bro. The 2026 midterms brought a "blue wave," and it landed squarely on a tech community that's spent two years aligning with Republicans. And it wasn't just a public rebuke of the party tech executives have been eager to please. A key issue driving voters' decisions at the polls is central to tech's vision for an AI future: data centers. BI's Jacob Shamsian and Brent D. Griffiths unpack how Democrats' big day spells trouble for the tech right on multiple fronts. Elon Musk is the first name that comes to mind thanks to the eye-popping $446 million he spent supporting the GOP, including $224 million that went to the now-blue state of Texas .
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