Data Center Backlash Threatens Ohio Senate Race as Republican Committee Warns

A Senate Republican campaign committee has sent a private memo to leading artificial intelligence companies warning that public backlash against data centers is threatening the party’s hold on a key Ohio Senate seat.

The memo, titled “Ohio Data Center Risk” and dated August 18, warns that Senator Jon Husted and Democratic candidate Sherrod Brown are in a dead heat, with data centers emerging as “the new ingredient (and the new problem)” in the race.

“If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one,” the committee stated.

The memo noted that Brown has aired three television ads on the subject totaling more than 6,000 points of airtime, and internal polling shows the messaging is “significantly more effective than traditional messaging tracts.” The committee described data centers as “a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle.”

The National Republican Senatorial Committee argued that campaigns and party committees “cannot fix the toxic brand of an entire segment of the economy” and that it falls to companies building data centers to address public concerns about “who benefits, who pays, and why a community should want one.”

The memo urged AI companies to explain the economic benefits of data centers and address concerns over costs and community impacts. It noted that more than 4,000 data centers are currently operating across the United States, with more than 3,000 additional facilities proposed or under development.

A recent poll found 65% of Ohio voters oppose having a data center built in their area, compared to 32% who support such construction. The same poll showed Brown leading Husted 53% to 45%.

The memo pointed to the Trump administration’s “Ratepayer Protection Pledge” as a model for addressing data center concerns.