RealClearPolitics correspondent Carolina Lumetta reports that public opposition to AI data centers has become an unexpected flashpoint in the 2026 midterm election cycle, with candidates from both parties responding to voter anger over water use, utility bills, emissions, noise, and farmland loss. More than $31 million has been spent on political ads mentioning data centers this year, with over 99 percent of that spending opposing AI infrastructure projects. Lumetta describes the backlash as unusually bipartisan, catching both the tech industry and the political establishment off guard.
