Two years ago, governors were fighting one another for the next data center ribbon-cutting. In 2026, it’s the issue no candidate can dodge. By our count, nearly every major-party nominee in the 36 governor’s races on the ballot November 3 has now taken a public position on data centers.

Public opinion explains why. Gallup found that 7 in 10 Americans oppose an AI data center in their area.

From Embrace to Moratorium
Positions run along a wide spectrum, and they don’t split by party. A shrinking group still embraces the industry. “I’m a big believer in data centers,” Alaska’s Dave Bronson (R) told a forum. Most candidates have converged on a middle position: let communities decide, and make developers cover their own power and grid costs. Georgia’s Rick Jackson (R) puts it this way: data centers “must have local support, provide a clear local benefit, pay their own way.”

However, moratoriums have gone mainstream. Hawthorn Intelligence counts 16 states with at least one gubernatorial candidate calling for a pause, and fewer than 10 candidates nationwide supporting data centers without new conditions. Ohio’s Vivek Ramaswamy (R) and New Mexico’s Deb Haaland (D) have both promised day-one executive orders halting new projects. It’s not a Democratic or Republican position – it’s simply the barrier to entry.

Tax breaks and state incentives are on the chopping block too. At least 16 candidates want to end or pause state incentives for data centers. In Arizona, Illinois, and Iowa, both nominees agree. Some incumbents have already acted: Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker (D) paused the state’s incentive program, and Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen (R) ended data centers’ access to state incentives by executive order.

The most telling shift is among incumbents: 11 of the 17 governors on the ballot have moved from promoting data centers to restricting them. Republicans among them are breaking with President Trump who has said communities that reject data centers will end up “backwards and poor.” Yet Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R), who signed the state’s data center tax break, has halted data center permits pending an audit. New Hampshire Gov. Kelly Ayotte (R) now wants a multiyear moratorium.

The Toss-Ups

  • Georgia. This is the starkest contrast on the map. Keisha Lance Bottoms (D) wants a statewide pause on new construction. Jackson opposes one, and his own business is a liability: state disclosures tie him to a hyperscale campus being developed in rural Texas. The issue is especially potent in Georgia because metro Atlanta led the nation in data center construction this year.
  • Nevada. Here the fight is over federal land. Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) doesn’t oppose data centers on public land if communities support them. Aaron Ford (D) opposes data centers on public lands and would pause new tax abatements pending an audit.
  • Ohio. Both nominees back a form of moratorium, so the race is a contest over conditions. Ramaswamy would require free electricity for nearby residents. Amy Acton (D) would require developers to cover 100% of their utility costs and build on brownfields rather than farmland.
  • Alaska. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D) supports a moratorium. He faces three Republicans: two who want to welcome the industry and one, Bernadette Wilson, who vows to keep hyperscale facilities out of the state.

Where It Defines the Race

The 2027 legislative sessions will open with governors who campaigned on restricting the industry rather than recruiting it. That is likely to mean three things:

  • Repeal or suspension of tax incentives
  • Laws giving local governments veto power over projects
  • Rules requiring developers to pay for the power and grid upgrades they use

One open question for developers is whether those rules apply to projects already in the pipeline. Hawthorn will keep tracking these races through Election Day – and the outcomes and impacts thereafter. Our team is ready to discuss these races or any others that might impact your business.

Best,
Jefferson Freeman
VP of Research, Hawthorn Group