The Data Center Backlash Goes Bipartisan: AI's Biggest Political Crisis Hits the Midterms

The American public's hostility toward AI data centers has crossed a critical threshold, becoming one of the most potent bipartisan issues of the 2026 midterm elections. A Gallup poll in May revealed that 71% of Americans oppose new data center construction in their communities, with 48% strongly opposed—surpassing peak opposition to nuclear power plants. The backlash has already claimed political scalps: Utah's longtime state senate president lost his primary over a planned...