Data Centers Fuel Spending Surge in Costly Senate Race

A Senate race in which data centers have emerged as a central campaign issue is now drawing more spending than any other contest in this year's midterm elections. Money is flowing into the race from campaigns and outside groups, and much of it is going toward sharply negative advertising.

Voters in the race are hearing about the issue from nearly every direction, according to people following the contest. One observer put it bluntly: "It's everywhere, and you can't escape it."

The debate reflects a broader question facing many communities. Large data centers, which power cloud computing and artificial intelligence, can bring investment and jobs, but they also raise concerns about electricity demand, utility rates, water use and the land they occupy. Candidates on both sides are being pressed to take clear positions on those trade-offs, and their ads increasingly reflect that pressure.

The volume of spending suggests that the outcome could shape how national parties and donors weigh the issue in other races before November. Campaign finance filings and tracking data will show how the totals continue to climb in the final weeks of the race.