Tech Becomes 2026 Midterm Villain as 150 Ads Target AI and Datacenters

1 articles · Updated · The Guardian · Oct 22

More than 150 campaign ads across the US now attack datacenters or AI, making the tech industry a central midterm target rather than a niche policy issue.
Only 4% of Pew respondents said datacenters would help the environment or home energy costs, helping explain why candidates in nearly every race are using them as a local threat.
At least 20 gubernatorial candidates are calling for datacenter moratoriums, while backlash has also spread to AI-linked surveillance tools such as Flock license-plate cameras in Michigan and Texas.
More than $500 million from tech leaders and companies has poured into 2026 races and ballot fights, including Elon Musk's $366 million and Leading the Future's $75 million haul.
The spending surge marks the first major electoral test of the AI boom, with even tech-backed or pro-regulation candidates trying to distance themselves from Silicon Valley and its billionaires.