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AI Money Delivers Mixed Midterm Results as Data Center Backlash Emerges as a Political Force
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Democrats won control of Congress in the November 3 midterms as voter hostility toward AI infrastructure intensified, and millions spent by both sides of the AI regulation fight produced mixed results. Pro-industry and safeguards groups poured money into races, but candidates linked to rapid data center growth often lost. AI policy has become a local election flashpoint.
The spending followed months of disputes over whether a national AI framework should override state laws. Leading the Future, backed by OpenAI president Greg Brockman and Andreessen Horowitz, and Anthropic-backed Public First built political arms. Both sides treated the midterms as a test of AI money’s power.
Pro-industry PACs American Mission and Building the Future spent a combined $4.8 million backing South Carolina Senate candidate Darline Graham, who lost. American Mission also spent more than $500,000 each on House candidates Aaron Flint in Montana and Laurie Buckhout in North Carolina, both defeated. Think Big, LTF’s Democratic arm, fared better with Florida Rep. Jared Moskowitz, who won.
Public First saw several Republicans lose but had more success with Democrats, including a $3 million PAC contribution backing California state Sen. Scott Wiener, who led. Guardrails Alliance spent over $1 million each opposing California Rep. Jimmy Gomez and Flint, both lost. LTF said primaries work better, spending $27.38 million there, including $8 million against New York Assembly member Alex Bores.
Data centers proved potent: an NBC exit poll found more than half of respondents believe AI will do more harm than good, almost 80% oppose data centers in their neighborhoods, and nearly 60% called them a crucial or major voting factor. In Ohio, the county where Meta planned a 700,000-square-foot facility passed a ban. Opponents of rapid growth also won in Texas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia and South Carolina.
Democratic control could help a data center moratorium proposed by Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, though a veto is possible. It could also aid Sen. Martin Heinrich’s GRID Savings Act, which would stop grid upgrade costs being passed to communities. Data & Society’s Maia Woluchem expects more state and local action.
Nadine Smith of Color of Change called the election a referendum on who the economy serves, citing South Memphis families exposed to exhaust from gas turbines powering xAI’s supercomputer. She said AI builders should pay for their own power, meet clean air standards and secure community consent. Both camps will keep spending into 2028.
