Obama’s Call for Democrats to Focus on Data Center Issues

In mid-September, former president Barack Obama encouraged Democratic candidates to make data center issues a key focus of their campaigns. This suggestion raised expectations that the upcoming 2026 midterm elections could hinge on this topic, which seemed plausible given Obama’s ongoing sway in Democratic circles.

As usual, Obama appeared to navigate both sides of the conversation during discussions with House minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, according to the New York Times.

“This is something that is moving very fast in private hands, and if we don’t get on top of it, I think it can be dangerous,” Obama observed. “If we do get on top of it, I do think it’s beneficial. I genuinely think it’s going to accelerate, for example, drug development in ways that can help us cure diseases. I do think that this can help us figure out pathways for a clean energy future.”

Obama’s idea seemed to be for Democrats to capitalize on any opposition to data centers to gain political traction—always a primary goal in politics—before pivoting to support the industry once in power. This reflects a classic bait-and-switch approach that Obama himself has effectively used throughout his career.

However, things haven’t unfolded as Obama hoped. A new report from a group of data center developers called Infrastructure For America (IFA) indicates that the data center issue has barely registered in major gubernatorial and Senate races in critical states this election cycle. The report, titled “The Midterms Are About Many Issues. But They’re Not About Data Centers,” reveals that this topic has largely been absent from political advertisements in Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, Michigan, and Texas.

“If this is the data center election, then someone forgot to tell the campaigns, candidates, outside groups, and consultants spending millions of dollars on TV advertising,” the report stated.

In fact, only 5% of paid advertisements in races for governor and U.S. Senate in these five states have mentioned data centers. Issues such as healthcare (19% of ads), affordability (25%), and corruption or personal attacks (32%) have dominated the landscape. Negative advertising tends to flood heated races as candidates attempt to frame their opponents. Healthcare has consistently been a major issue in elections during this century, so its prominence in the findings is expected.

Then there’s the issue of energy and affordability. Typically, affordability is a constant concern during elections, but this year it’s been heightened due to significant increases in gasoline and diesel prices, largely driven by the impacts of the Iran conflict. In previous cycles, politicians from both parties could typically blame each other for rising costs. However, this year, the causes of higher prices are much clearer.

With a clear source of the problem, voters are left to determine how to respond. For many, it will likely come down to whether they believe the price of gas—up 40%—and rising diesel costs are worth the tradeoff for ensuring that Iran does not develop long-range nuclear weapons. For those who think the price is unacceptable, it raises the question of what they plan to do about it.

Could independent voters or those who typically lean Republican conclude, as Scott Jennings suggested during a recent CNN panel, that rising gas prices compel them to support Democrats? It’s a possibility. Democrats could secure majorities in both congressional houses and make gains in several gubernatorial races come November 3. If that occurs, it likely won’t stem from orchestrated opposition to data centers but rather from the burden of high gasoline and diesel prices.