Sen. Jon Husted's Ohio race could be the canary in the coal mine for the Republican Party on an issue that has generated widespread public backlash.
The National Republican Senatorial Committee has privately warned top AI companies that public backlash against data centers is threatening the party's ability to hold Husted's seat, and that a loss could trigger a nationwide political reckoning for the industry, according to a memo obtained by Axios.
"GOP warns AI companies that data centers are politically radioactive [and claims it's[ costing them Ohio and will spread," wrote Axios co-founder Jim VandeHei.
The memo, titled "Ohio Data Center Risk," says Democrats have turned data centers into a "centerpiece" of their campaign to unseat Husted, and that the strategy is working.
"If he loses and data centers get the blame, politicians across the country will take notice — and they will not go near the next one," the memo states, calling it "a sleeper issue for the entire election cycle."
Husted's opponent, former Sen. Sherrod Brown, has spent millions this summer on ads branding Husted "the face of data centers in Ohio," a state hosting several major projects, including a recently announced Nvidia and OpenAI campus, along with facilities from Meta, Vantage and QTS. A Fox News poll last week showed Brown leading Husted by 8 points.
Republicans and AI executives reportedly share growing alarm, with internal polling described as showing data centers are about as popular as spent nuclear waste. Facilities have drawn community protests over heavy electricity and water use, rising utility bills, and minimal job creation, while also becoming a broader outlet for public anxiety about AI-driven job losses.
There are currently more than 4,000 data centers operating nationwide, with over 3,000 more proposed or under construction.
The backlash isn't confined to Republicans. Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a Democrat weighing a 2028 presidential run, signed an executive order this week imposing "strict guardrails" on data center development, signaling that even previously supportive politicians are moving to get ahead of the issue.
The NRSC memo puts the onus on AI companies to repair public perception, urging them to clearly explain "who benefits, who pays, and why a community should want one."
Absent that, the memo warns, Ohio won't be an isolated case: "If voters' perceptions of data centers are not fixed quickly, the campaign against them will expand far beyond Ohio."