Michigan voters reject data centers in midterm elections

Data centers were on the mind of many voters during the 2026 midterm elections. In Michigan, Democratic challenger Will Lawrence campaigned on a data center moratoriam and defeated incumbent Tom Barrett, flipping the 7th Congressional District seat.  

Opposing data center construction is a national trend. According to a recent Gallup poll, nearly 71% of Americans don't want them in their neighborhood.

Tech policy expercy Darrell West, a senior fellow in the center for Technology Innovation at the Brookings Institution, says the ongoing battle to develop new data centers has "upended politics as we know it." He adds that the economic output of data centers isn't enough to outweigh the costs for residents as they increase local energy bills and deplete natural resources.

West spoke about data centers and their effect on Michigan's midterm elections with Robyn Vincent.

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