Data centers are becoming a political liability in closely watched U.S. races as voters challenge AI infrastructure over electricity costs, water use and environmental impacts. A Fox News poll released in late July found that 70 percent of voters oppose building a local data center to support AI and 78 percent favor slowing construction to address environmental and community concerns. In Michigan, Republican Senate candidate and former Rep. Mike Rogers is calling for a one-year state moratorium on new facilities, while Democratic nominee Abdul El-Sayed supports terms requiring developers to pay energy costs, use closed-loop cooling and give communities a meaningful say. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro has ordered developers to cover project-related electricity costs and obtain local approval, while Republican challenger Stacy Garrity has shifted from supporting more development to calling for a pause. In Ohio, former Sen. Sherrod Brown is attacking Sen. Jon Husted over data center tax breaks, prompting the National Republican Senatorial Committee to warn that the issue could damage Husted and spread nationally. The industry says it must improve public communication, while President Trump continues to support data centers and a non-binding policy requiring them to pay their own way.