A new populist fever is coursing through the midterms, forcing campaigns to retreat and recalibrate as they confront a groundswell of hostility toward AI data centers. Why it matters: Grassroots pressure is breaking the bipartisan consensus that enabled America's AI buildout. Candidates in both parties are now racing to distance themselves from projects their own leaders spent years courting. The big picture: What started as scattered, localized NIMBYism is scaling into a national cross-partisan movement that could slow America's race for AI supremacy. - In Ohio, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has spent millions on a summer ad campaign branding Republican Sen. Jon Husted as "the face of data centers," weaponizing Husted's years of…
A new populist fever is coursing through the midterms, forcing campaigns to retreat and recalibrate as they confront a groundswell of hostility toward AI data centers. Why it matters: Grassroots pressure is breaking the bipartisan consensus that enabled America's AI buildout. Candidates in both parties are now racing to distance themselves from projects their own leaders spent years courting. The big picture: What started as scattered, localized NIMBYism is scaling into a national cross-partisan movement that could slow America's race for AI supremacy. - In Ohio, former Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown has spent millions on a summer ad campaign branding Republican Sen. Jon Husted as "the face of data centers," weaponizing Husted's years of…Open
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro secretly helped a Republican state treasurer's 2024 reelection bid after the official's Democratic opponent had criticized Shapiro as a potential VP pick, a close Shapiro ally said last week. - Bob Brooks, a Shapiro-backed candidate for the U.S. House, made the surprising comment Wednesday to a small group of Democratic college students. Axios obtained a recording of his remarks, which also were confirmed by a person at the meeting. Why it matters: Helping a Republican over a Democrat — especially in response to personal criticism — could become a liability if Shapiro runs for president in 2028, as many expect. - It also could feed the idea — held even by some Shapiro supporters — that he can be…
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro secretly helped a Republican state treasurer's 2024 reelection bid after the official's Democratic opponent had criticized Shapiro as a potential VP pick, a close Shapiro ally said last week. - Bob Brooks, a Shapiro-backed candidate for the U.S. House, made the surprising comment Wednesday to a small group of Democratic college students. Axios obtained a recording of his remarks, which also were confirmed by a person at the meeting. Why it matters: Helping a Republican over a Democrat — especially in response to personal criticism — could become a liability if Shapiro runs for president in 2028, as many expect. - It also could feed the idea — held even by some Shapiro supporters — that he can be…Open