Data center projects may have cost Republicans support in deep-red counties

Key Points:

• A conservative AI safety group, Humans First, found that deep-red counties with large data centers or proposed projects shifted further toward Democrats in the 2024 midterm elections compared to similar counties without such projects, with an average 2.2 percentage point shift.
• The analysis covered 1,540 counties in 16 states and noted a 2.1-point gap in deep-red counties Trump won by at least 20 points, with Republican vote totals falling an additional 1.1% in host counties, while Democratic votes showed no significant change.
• Humans First attributes the shift to local concerns about data centers affecting personal issues like cost of living, health care, and community quality of life, emphasizing a lack of local input and transparency in project approvals.
• The group advocates for local control over data center projects rather than statewide or nationwide moratoriums, highlighting widespread voter opposition to data center expansions in 46 of 47 local ballot measures in 2026.
• The findings show correlation but do not prove causation, and the debate continues over data center impacts on electricity costs, tax incentives, and community consent amid the growing demand for AI infrastructure.