Ohio Senate race turns on data center boom and voter backlash

Activist Erin Brockovich released a map highlighting dozens of major AI-focused data center projects either built or planned throughout Ohio, with a concentration in the Columbus area and surrounding suburban counties. Voter surveys reveal widespread resistance to new data centers in local neighborhoods, pressuring the Senate race between Republican Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown to address the issue. Husted’s proposed Ratepayer Protection Act, which failed in the Senate, sought standards for large electricity users to protect consumer rates, and he emphasizes local decision-making on data center siting.

Brown positions himself as a critic of corporate data centers, arguing they should bear the full cost of their utility consumption and not shift expenses to Ohio families. Labor unions, traditionally aligned with Democrats, support the projects for potential union jobs, adding complexity to the political calculus. The race remains tight, with recent polls showing a narrow lead for Brown, and the data center debate is expected to influence voter choices as early voting begins.