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Big Tech lost big in the 2026 election
· Confirmed
In Short: In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats regained control of both chambers of Congress, with voters and tech critics questioning the impact of AI and data centers.
In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats won back control of both chambers of Congress, with voters and tech critics questioning the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers.
According to CNET, many Democratic candidates campaigned against AI and data centers, arguing that these technologies pose significant privacy and environmental concerns.
Tech critics and policy experts argue that the new Congress should prioritize privacy as part of its legislative agenda, but how they will deliver on these promises remains unclear.
Ars Technica reported that out of 44 measures across 10 states seeking to restrict data centers, 38 passed, indicating a widespread voter rejection of Big Tech.
Redbud Consulting, a polling firm, tracked data center initiatives on the ballot and found that more than half of voters said that AI and data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote for Congress.
Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research warned that projects with power but no state environmental permits could slip 12 to 18 months, adding that approximately 13 gigawatts of data center capacity is now exposed.
Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced a bill requiring tech companies to pay for the infrastructure and energy required to construct data centers.
Alan Butler, president of the nonprofit Electronic Privacy Information Center, called the election results a 'resounding victory' and said voters are 'sick and tired of big tech companies manipulating them, buying politicians and elections, and surveilling their families and communities.'
What this adds
The midterm elections saw a sharp slowdown in the US jobs market, with employers adding just 29,000 jobs in September.
Investors are now grappling with the potential consequences of the election results, with the so-called magnificent seven tech companies, including Apple, Nvidia, and Tesla, losing a trillion dollars in a single session.
What's confirmed
- In the 2026 midterm elections, Democrats won back control of both chambers of Congress, with voters and tech critics questioning the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) and data centers.
- According to CNET, many Democratic candidates campaigned against AI and data centers, arguing that these technologies pose significant privacy and environmental concerns.
- Tech critics and policy experts argue that the new Congress should prioritize privacy as part of its legislative agenda, but how they will deliver on these promises remains unclear.
- Ars Technica reported that out of 44 measures across 10 states seeking to restrict data centers, 38 passed, indicating a widespread voter rejection of Big Tech.
- Redbud Consulting, a polling firm, tracked data center initiatives on the ballot and found that more than half of voters said that AI and data centers were a crucial or major factor in their vote for Congress.
- Gordon Johnson of GLJ Research warned that projects with power but no state environmental permits could slip 12 to 18 months, adding that approximately 13 gigawatts of data center capacity is now exposed.
- Rep. Gabe Evans (R-CO) and Kathy Castor (D-FL) introduced a bill requiring tech companies to pay for the infrastructure and energy required to construct data centers.
What's still developing
- But how, exactly, they deliver on those goals remains to be seen — and will have real consequences for tech consumers and companies.
- Tech critics say that real change will depend on newly elected officials keeping their campaign promises.
- Wide margins were reported in elections across the country and in towns across Ohio, where 21 initiatives appeared on ballots.
- It may be a little soon to determine the ultimate winners and losers among enterprise suppliers after the midterm elections, but the early line is: Big Tech wins and data center suppliers operators such as chipmakers and neoclouds lose.
- As Democrats prepare to investigate Silicon Valley, its liberal-branded lobby is scrambling to erase voters’ resounding rejection of Big Tech.
- We look at how more than $400 million from Elon Musk’s super PAC largely came up empty, why voters restricted 39 of 40 data center ballot measures in what WIRED called the data center referendum, why election deniers suddenly went quiet, and what it all means for 2028.
- American firms are choosing to hold steady rather than hire or fire staff The US jobs market saw a sharp slowdown in September, with employers adding just 29,000 jobs in the final update before the midterm elections.
- DIRECTV, Fox One and Peacock will offer multiview experiences that combine live coverage with election results, while CNN and other networks are deploying interactive maps, real-time election data and additional digital tools.
- “Voters wanted change on the economy, not a crackdown on innovation,” Kovacevich said, while sharing a resource for those in the tech industry seeking an alternative spin on the results.
- Those measures included dozens of moratoriums and bans.
- Two days after Democrats won overwhelmingly in the national midterm elections — and in state races across the country — investors started to come to terms with the potential consequences.
- As trillion-dollar tech companies spend hundreds of billions of dollars to build out artificial intelligence data centers, investors are looking for clearer signs that all that spending is actually delivering returns.