Data centers becoming 'inescapable' in Georgia's elections

FORSYTH, Georgia — A multibillion-dollar data center boom is provoking a bipartisan backlash in one of the nation’s most pivotal political battlegrounds.

Tax breaks, a stable power grid and vast tracts of undeveloped land have made Georgia a mecca for the artificial intelligence industry, with sprawling data center campuses under review or in development across rural acres and the Atlanta suburbs alike.

But public opposition to this growth is starting to bleed into local and statewide elections, including a competitive governor’s race and a Senate contest that could help decide the balance of power in Washington. Meanwhile, leading Republicans and Democrats in the state are still trying to find their footing on the issue, even as strategists and party officials on both sides of the aisle warn that it’s becoming impossible to ignore.

Voters angry about the boom say too many politicians are just failing to listen.




https://www.politico.com/news/2026/04/26/ai-data-centers-georgia-midterms-00888668