Most 2026 governor candidates now have a data center stance

A new count finds that 80% of Democratic and Republican candidates for governor have publicly staked out a position on data centers. The finding reflects data centers becoming an active campaign issue rather than a background infrastructure topic.

Why it matters: This follows a year in which local opposition to data centers has nearly doubled and several jurisdictions, including a Virginia county, have moved to restrict data center expansion. Data centers turning into a mainstream electoral issue raises the odds of policy friction — permitting delays, power allocation fights, zoning restrictions — that could slow the pace of AI infrastructure buildout nationally.