Data center opposition surges in 2026 midterms: 58% voter opposition, over 300 bans, $130 billion in stalled

A June survey by the Yale University Climate Change Communication program found that 58% of registered voters opposed the construction of data centers near their homes. Among them, 53% of conservative Republicans and 74% of liberal Democrats shared this view, indicating that the issue crosses party lines. More than 300 cities, towns, and counties have enacted bans or moratoriums on hyperscale data center construction. In the first quarter of 2026 alone, 75 large projects were delayed or canceled, involving over $130 billion, nearly matching the total losses for all of 2025.

New York Governor Kathy Hochul signed the nation's first statewide moratorium this month. Voters in Monterey Park, California, passed a permanent ban at the ballot box. In April, an Indianapolis city councilor who had voted in favor of an AI facility was shot at 13 times by unknown assailants at his home, with a note reading 'No data centers' left at the scene. In Wisconsin, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Francesca Hong campaigned on a platform of 'tax the rich, fund schools, and stop AI data centers.' Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro faced criticism from rural voters for supporting data center construction on prime farmland.

In deep-red West Texas, the region is expected to overtake Northern Virginia as the world's largest data center market before 2030. Governor Abbott has ordered regulators to ensure that Texas residents will not pay higher electricity bills for hosting Google. On July 18, organized by Tea Party activist Amy Kremer, 142 coordinated protests erupted simultaneously across 42 states, with participants declaring 'America is not for sale' and predicting that the data center issue will appear on ballots in the November midterm elections and the 2028 presidential election.

A high school physics teacher in Kansas was arrested and jailed after applauding in opposition at a data center hearing, even after the committee approved the zoning plan. The incident occurred on July 28. Earlier, during President Trump's appearance in Michigan on July 27, demonstrators held signs reading 'Stop data centers.' The protest movement has grown to the point of directly voicing opposition at events with the US president.