Voters sided against data centers in all but one of the local ballot measures on the issue during the 2026 midterms. Democrats who campaigned on pausing or regulating new projects also won key races, adding political risk to the AI infrastructure buildout.
Voters sided against data centers in each measure except one in Harwood, North Dakota, according to an analysis by Ballotpedia and additional results gathered by CNBC on Wednesday. The tally covers 41 local ballot measures in 10 states that would place restrictions on data center construction in different ways.
Harwood's city voters rejected a charter amendment that would have required additional review before approving industrial developments, including data centers.
Data centers feature in Ohio and Texas wins
In Ohio, 21 local measures were up for a vote, according to Ballotpedia. Democrat Sherrod Brown ousted Republican Sen. Jon Husted after casting the incumbent as the face of data centers.
Meanwhile, Democrat Amy Acton defeated Republican businessman Vivek Ramaswamy in the governor's race. Acton supports a conditional moratorium on data centers.
In Texas, Gina Hinojosa unseated Gov. Greg Abbott after blaming the incumbent for the rapid buildout of data centers across the state. In a CNBC Voter Poll, 56% of voters said data centers were a crucial or major factor in their decision.
AI trade falters on Wall Street before the election
The AI trade was already faltering on Wall Street before the election. Chipmakers, neoclouds and other data center-related companies sold off in October on concerns about rising interest rates and overspending.
Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are each spending hundreds of billions of dollars a year on AI infrastructure to meet what they say is insatiable demand. All of them except Microsoft have turned cash flow negative in the process, according to CNBC.
Democrats call for AI executive testimony
Within hours of the polls closing, Democrats were calling for AI executives to testify under oath. Rep. Greg Casar, the Texas Democrat who chairs the Congressional Progressive Caucus, said in a statement after Democrats were projected to win the House: "AI company CEOs should be called to testify under oath."
Casar also said the data center fight is only the beginning, and that the revolt against data centers was one of the top issues of the 2026 election.
Source: CNBC
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