US — TechCrunch

Data centers are now a midterm issue, even in Brooklyn

PolicyNovember 1, 20262 min read

Data centers and AI are becoming a major issue in the 2026 U.S. midterm elections, even at tech events in Brooklyn. A reporter describes how many ordinary people are angry about big tech building these huge computer buildings in their towns.

What happened

A tech reporter went to a midterm election event in a Brooklyn warehouse hosted by Newsreel, a media company. The crowd was full of journalists, tech workers, and policy experts. Most talks ended up being about AI and data centers, which are huge buildings full of computers that run AI. When the reporter asked a crowd whether anyone was pro-AI data center, she was booed.

Key numbers and facts

Almost $200 billion in data center projects were delayed, stalled, or blocked in the first half of 2026, according to a report from Data Center Watch.
The cause was political and community opposition.
Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia are considering more rules and transparency for data centers.
Hundreds of new data centers are planned in Virginia alone. The state is already nicknamed the "data center capital of the world."
The U.S. midterm elections are on November 3.

Why people are upset

Many people feel left out of the tech boom. Big tech companies seem to be making secret deals with local officials to build very expensive data centers. In some places, zoning rules (local land-use laws) make it unclear what is being built until it is too late to protest. People also worry about pollution and health, and they feel they have lost control over their own communities.

Why it matters

Data centers are no longer just a tech story. They are now a question voters care about when they choose leaders. The article suggests that data centers may affect some local and state races. It also shows a growing gap between people who build AI and people who live with its effects every day.

What to watch

Whether data center opposition changes the results of races on November 3.
Whether states like Pennsylvania, Georgia, Texas, New York, and Virginia pass new rules for data centers.
Whether more data center projects are delayed or blocked in the coming months.

Glossary

Newsreel: A media company founded by former Forbes and Newsweek reporter Jack Brewster; it hosted the Brooklyn event.
Data Center Watch: A group that published a report on data center projects delayed, stalled, or blocked because of opposition.

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