Republicans are warning that former Democratic senator Sherrod Brown’s relentless campaign to tie Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) to unpopular data centers could cost the incumbent his seat — and make politicians even warier of supporting data centers in the future.
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Brown’s campaign has spent millions of dollars on ads attacking Husted over his support for data centers ahead of the midterm elections. Husted forced “the massive energy-sucking facilities on the state, giving corporations over $2.5 billion in out-of-control tax breaks and causing electric bills to spike by thousands of dollars,” says one of Brown’s ads.
Those attacks are landing, the National Republican Senatorial Committee warned Tuesday in a memo obtained by The Washington Post.
“More than any other thing in this race, data centers are the anchor hanging around Husted’s neck,” the NRSC wrote. “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, first reported by Axios, was sent to artificial intelligence companies, according to a person familiar with the matter who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the private memo. The memo encourages such companies to “fix how Ohioans see” data centers — an apparent appeal for help in a crucial race.
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“If Husted loses because of data centers, the industry will be blamed,” the NRSC wrote.
Amy Natoce, a spokeswoman for Husted’s campaign, wrote in an email that Husted supports leaving decisions about data centers to local leaders. He has introduced legislation that would require companies to pay for the power that their data centers use.
“Many communities welcome data centers for the tax revenue they generate for schools and public services, property tax relief, and thousands of good-paying jobs for Ohio’s skilled tradespeople,” Natoce wrote. “Other communities have different focus areas, or legitimate questions and concerns, and those local decisions should be respected.”
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