Michigan candidates in both parties said opposition to data center projects is becoming a campaign issue this summer, with some arguing it could affect the state’s midterm elections in November. Anti-data center demonstrators disrupted Republican President Donald Trump’s speech in Oakland County on Monday, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told reporters in Lansing on Tuesday that people “really effing hate data centers,” one week before the primary election. Democrat Will Lawrence, a Lansing candidate for a key U.S. House seat backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, said his campaign found Trump voters near a proposed data center in the 7th District supporting his opposition to the projects.

A Detroit News review found 17 Michigan candidates’ campaigns paid for Facebook ads in June and July highlighting opposition to data centers, including 6 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The review said no Michigan candidate ran a Facebook ad during that period supporting data centers. Republican state Senate candidate Kenny Clevenger cited Detroit Democratic U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s criticism of a hyperscale data center project in Saline Township and said that when “the far left and everyday Michigan conservatives” reject the same decision, “something has gone seriously wrong.”

Data center supporters, including the White House, argue the facilities are needed for the country’s technological future. Trump signed an executive order a year ago to accelerate federal permitting of data center infrastructure. State Rep. Mark Tisdel, a Rochester Hills Republican in a battleground state House district, wrote last week that Michigan should consider “embracing data centers” with guardrails because they “power AI.”

Michigan has 79 operational data centers, according to U.S. Data Center Map, with 2 more under construction and 16 more planned. Three planned facilities are described as far larger in capacity than anything currently operating in the state. The Stargate project in Saline Township is under construction on 250 acres of farmland and is expected to eventually require 1.4 gigawatts of electricity, roughly as much as 1 million homes. Oracle and OpenAI are backing the project, while Related Cos. is building it through Related Digital. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared at the June 1 groundbreaking with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and said the project would create more than 2,500 union construction jobs and more than 450 on-site jobs.

Residents cited water, electricity and local input as major concerns. In Van Buren Township, a 282-acre project called Project Cannoli is projected to use millions of gallons of water per day and one gigawatt of power. Kenya Phelps, 49, said she was not necessarily opposed to data centers but wanted more community input. Margaret Woodward, a 77-year-old South Lyon Democrat, said she would support a total ban on data center development in Michigan because of water and electricity use.

The Senate race has highlighted the Saline Township project. El-Sayed said the democratic process was side-stepped and said he opposed the data center if the community opposed it. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running against El-Sayed for the Democratic nomination, said she supports federal laws governing data centers, money going into communities and protections against rising consumer costs. Whitmer, who backs the Saline Township development, has endorsed Stevens.

Republican opposition also emerged from gubernatorial and party figures. Perry Johnson, a Republican candidate for governor, and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Jim Runestad have spoken against data centers. Runestad called in June for a one-year moratorium on all Michigan data center projects and said Thursday that data centers could be one of the top three or four campaign issues in the state this fall. An April poll of 600 likely Michigan general election voters found 33% open to allowing a data center within 25 miles of home, 55% opposed and about 12% unsure or declining to answer, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Michigan candidates in both parties said opposition to data center projects is becoming a campaign issue this summer, with some arguing it could affect the state’s midterm elections in November. Anti-data center demonstrators disrupted Republican President Donald Trump’s speech in Oakland County on Monday, and Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed told reporters in Lansing on Tuesday that people “really effing hate data centers,” one week before the primary election. Democrat Will Lawrence, a Lansing candidate for a key U.S. House seat backed by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, said his campaign found Trump voters near a proposed data center in the 7th District supporting his opposition to the projects.

A Detroit News review found 17 Michigan candidates’ campaigns paid for Facebook ads in June and July highlighting opposition to data centers, including 6 Republicans and 11 Democrats. The review said no Michigan candidate ran a Facebook ad during that period supporting data centers. Republican state Senate candidate Kenny Clevenger cited Detroit Democratic U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib’s criticism of a hyperscale data center project in Saline Township and said that when “the far left and everyday Michigan conservatives” reject the same decision, “something has gone seriously wrong.”

Data center supporters, including the White House, argue the facilities are needed for the country’s technological future. Trump signed an executive order a year ago to accelerate federal permitting of data center infrastructure. State Rep. Mark Tisdel, a Rochester Hills Republican in a battleground state House district, wrote last week that Michigan should consider “embracing data centers” with guardrails because they “power AI.”

Michigan has 79 operational data centers, according to U.S. Data Center Map, with 2 more under construction and 16 more planned. Three planned facilities are described as far larger in capacity than anything currently operating in the state. The Stargate project in Saline Township is under construction on 250 acres of farmland and is expected to eventually require 1.4 gigawatts of electricity, roughly as much as 1 million homes. Oracle and OpenAI are backing the project, while Related Cos. is building it through Related Digital. Gov. Gretchen Whitmer appeared at the June 1 groundbreaking with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and said the project would create more than 2,500 union construction jobs and more than 450 on-site jobs.

Residents cited water, electricity and local input as major concerns. In Van Buren Township, a 282-acre project called Project Cannoli is projected to use millions of gallons of water per day and one gigawatt of power. Kenya Phelps, 49, said she was not necessarily opposed to data centers but wanted more community input. Margaret Woodward, a 77-year-old South Lyon Democrat, said she would support a total ban on data center development in Michigan because of water and electricity use.

The Senate race has highlighted the Saline Township project. El-Sayed said the democratic process was side-stepped and said he opposed the data center if the community opposed it. U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens, who is running against El-Sayed for the Democratic nomination, said she supports federal laws governing data centers, money going into communities and protections against rising consumer costs. Whitmer, who backs the Saline Township development, has endorsed Stevens.

Republican opposition also emerged from gubernatorial and party figures. Perry Johnson, a Republican candidate for governor, and Michigan Republican Party Chairman Jim Runestad have spoken against data centers. Runestad called in June for a one-year moratorium on all Michigan data center projects and said Thursday that data centers could be one of the top three or four campaign issues in the state this fall. An April poll of 600 likely Michigan general election voters found 33% open to allowing a data center within 25 miles of home, 55% opposed and about 12% unsure or declining to answer, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4 percentage points.