Why some 2026 candidates are making data centers an election issue

As data centers rapidly expand across the country to power AI and cloud computing, some Democratic underdogs are turning the energy-hungry facilities into a 2026 campaign issue, arguing that they could raise electricity bills and strain local resources. POLITICO’s Timothy Cama breaks down this trend, what voters actually think about data centers, and whether it’s an effective political strategy. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices