The November midterm results gave Democrats full control of Congress while Republicans hold the White House, and the outcome suggests that anger over data centers—the large facilities powering AI—has become a real political force. An NBC exit poll found that more than half of voters believe AI will do more harm than good, nearly 80% oppose data centers in their neighborhoods, and almost 60% said data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote. With Democrats in charge of Congress, the article expects new limits on where data centers can be built and more local community say in the process.

Voters in several states pushed back against the AI buildout even though pro-AI super PACs spent millions trying to sway them. In Ohio, where OpenAI has eyed a $500 billion data center backed by more than $100 billion in Nvidia financing, the county where Meta planned a 700,000-square-foot facility passed a ban on data centers, and communities across the state voted against buildout measures. Morgan Stanley analysts predict Democratic governor-elect Amy Acton will pose a major risk to Ohio’s data center buildout. Candidates in Texas, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, Georgia, and South Carolina also won seats after opposing rapid data center construction. Researcher Anshi Bhatt said money does not buy outcomes and that creating a “local villain” is a way to build campaign momentum.

Likely next steps include construction moratoriums or requiring data centers to pay for their own power grid upgrades rather than passing costs to nearby communities. Goldman Sachs predicts construction delays in states like Georgia and Texas because of Democratic gains. Democratic control could improve the odds for a bill from Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez that proposes a nationwide moratorium on new data centers until Congress adds guardrails on electricity costs, environmental harm, and community approval, though it would face a possible veto. Another bill, the GRID Savings Act from Sen. Martin Heinrich, would prevent grid infrastructure costs from being passed on to communities during large AI data center buildouts.

The environment remains a major concern, particularly at xAI‘s Memphis data center, which uses gas turbines, and at data centers throughout Virginia. Maia Woluchem of Data & Society expects further state and local action regardless of federal policy, citing Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, who supported a statewide moratorium on data centers. Congressional Democrats may also investigate the Trump administration’s rollback of energy protections.

Nadine Smith of Color of Change framed the election as a referendum on who the economy is built for, arguing that national security matters but so do families breathing exhaust from gas turbines powering AI supercomputers. She expects a fight ahead, including possible executive orders to bypass Congress, and notes that even among Democrats a blanket freeze is contested because some worry it could slow AI progress and hurt national security. She also expects AI lobbyists to pressure lawmakers, saying: “Democrats ran on making Big Tech pay. Our job is to make sure they remember it once the cameras leave.”

The backlash is not just about the buildings. One private equity executive said people don’t necessarily hate data centers but rather AI, and data centers have become a stand-in for fears about the technology. Voters are frustrated about environmental effects and lack of say: Amazon built a data center in Gilroy, California, using a 45-year-old zoning law, and vague zoning rules plus NDAs for local officials have fueled outrage. Data centers have received billions in tax breaks, and community benefits like jobs have not been enough. Many people fear the buildout will enrich a few while communities suffer and living costs rise. Smith’s summary: if AI infrastructure is a national priority, companies can afford to pay for their own power, meet clean air standards, disclose what they use, and build with the consent of nearby residents, rather than having families subsidize the richest corporations through utility bills.