Democrats’ division over data centers is opening up a major fault line in key House primaries.
Democratic candidates in battleground districts across the country are embracing a left-wing proposal to curb the growth of data centers nationwide, pushing for more aggressive postures than trying to limit the impact of energy-hungry facilities on the electrical grid and utility bills.
The idea of a moratorium beyond insurgent operations is gaining ground. In Tennessee, State Representative Justin Pearson is mounting a serious primary challenge to Representative Steve Cohen (D) in the state’s 9th District and says a federal moratorium on data centers is not only good policy, but also a potential political winner across party lines.
Pearson said, “We fight for the dividend of solidarity across the country, small towns, big cities: it’s us against the (artificial intelligence) billionaires who are taking our electricity and water.” “This is our bridge issue, but you have to have leadership that realizes that.”
Pearson has a clear political reason for adopting the moratorium. The solid blue 9th District, covering most of Memphis and the surrounding area become a flash point On the data centers powering Elon Musk’s xAI operations.
Similar battles are unfolding across the country. In a small town in Missouri, voters recently ousted all current city council members after approving a $6 billion data center deal. Other communities in data center hubs such as Ohio and Maryland considering local moratorium On energy intensive projects.
“Right now, data centers are expanding faster than the capacity of our infrastructure, and Virginians are paying the price for it in higher utility bills and increased stress on our energy system,” said former Alexandria, Virginia, council member and federal attorney Mo Seefelden, who is challenging Rep. Don Beyer (D) in the state’s 8th District.
Maine’s legislature has already passed a data center moratorium, and Democratic Governor Janet Mills – running to unseat Republican Senator Susan Collins – is considering whether to sign it.
Mills’ primary opponent, Graham Plattner, did not respond to a request for comment. But two Maine Democrats, who are competing in the Democratic primary to replace the departing Rep. Jared Golden, have supported the moratorium.
State Senator Joe Baldacci voted in favor of the bill awaiting Mills’ signature. Primary opponent Matthew Dunlap, a former state auditor, shared his views in a statement to POLITICO’s E&E News.
“If elected to Congress, I will support and co-sponsor federal moratorium legislation introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez,” Dunlap said. “We need national standards that protect consumers, workers, and our environment before we allow uncontrolled expansion of these facilities.”
‘He’s not listening’
Most Democrats in Congress have strongly criticized the adjournment proposal. Virginia Democratic Senator Mark Warner dismissed the plan as “silly” during an event hosted by Axios.
Instead, many lawmakers and candidates are supporting a narrower approach. Baer has introduced legislation that would direct the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to convene a conference with grid operators and issue recommendations on protecting ratepayers.
Still, progressive challengers see an opportunity to argue that the incumbents are not acting in the best interests of voters.
“Rep. Cohen is not taking this issue seriously, and he is not listening to the working-class people in his district,” Pearson said. “The AI industry is accelerating to do things we never imagined, and we need to get a handle on it.”
Cohen said in a statement that he supports a moratorium on data centers until “strong, enforceable guardrails are put in place.” He also pointed to his work in introducing the “Clean Cloud Act”, a bill that would set emissions requirements for data centers and encourage the use of clean energy.
A February poll from the progressive firm Data for Progress found the two candidates in a virtual tie. Pearson is moving on from Cohen; He earned $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2026, which is double what Cohen earned.
Destiny Wells and George Hornado, longtime challengers to Representative Andre Carson (D) in Indiana’s 7th District, witnessed the growing opposition to the data center firsthand when more than 100 residents gathered outside Indianapolis City Hall to protest the proposed data center.
“The Martindale-Brightwood neighborhood in Indianapolis spent months fighting the proposed $500 million data center — near homes, near daycare, near the area’s only grocery store,” Hornado said. “And on April 1, the city approved it anyway.”
He said the result highlights the uphill battle local residents face when competing with big developers and the authorities associated with them. Both progressive candidates largely reiterated that populist framework by arguing for a federal moratorium, while also attacking incumbent Democrats as another aspect of the systemic issue.
Hornado said of Carson, “AES Indiana – the utility that will provide power to the facility – has contributed to his campaign.” “I’m not saying that’s why he was silent. But I am saying that the silence fell exactly where you would expect it given those relationships.”
Carson said in a statement that he now supports a federal data center moratorium, adding that he would “work to pass a bill to stop data centers from passing the cost on to customers and to require environmental disclosures.”
‘Fair share’ or full stop?
How much the data center moratorium issue will boost Dalit candidates remains an open question.
Community opposition exists, but public opinion is far from the grassroots level. A January Politico/Public First poll found voters were nearly split – 37 percent supported a new data center within 3 miles of their home, 28 percent were opposed and another 28 percent had no strong view either way.
“I think a moratorium will send a message to other countries, ‘Hey, the United States is giving up leadership in this region,’ and I don’t want to send that message,” said Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.).
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has included a priority of “making data centers pay their fair share” as part of Senate Democrats’ broader plan to cut energy costs.
President Donald Trump has brokered a “ratepayer protection pledge” with major technology companies, committing them to cover “the entire cost of their energy and infrastructure, no matter what.”
Critics say the informal agreement lacks enforcement mechanisms, and GOP leaders have sent mixed messages on whether they intend to codify the pledge. Senator Josh Hawley of Missouri has been particularly vocal among Republicans in pushing Congress to enact legislation on data centers.
GOP concerns about data centers are more vocal at the state level. James Fischbach, the far-right candidate for governor of Florida, has criticized national Republicans for prioritizing major tech firms over communities absorbing the impacts of rapid development.
And former Michigan House Speaker Tom Leonard (R), who is now running for governor, is calling for a one-year statewide moratorium on new data center construction.
“I don’t want to live in a state that’s full of data centers,” Leonard said. bridge michiganA non-profit news website. “And I know a lot of the people I’m talking to — they don’t know either.”
Timothy Cama contributed to this report.
