Midterm races put Silicon Valley spending and data center backlash on ballot

Key facts

• Cook Political Report rated the Ohio Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and Democrat Sherrod Brown a toss-up, the report said.
• The report said Brown criticized Husted over previous support for data center development.
• The report said Husted no longer supports tax incentives for new data center construction.

The report, published November 3, 2026, previewed midterm elections it said would show the extent of Silicon Valley's political power and the breadth of a backlash against AI. It led with the Ohio Senate race between Republican Sen. Jon Husted and former Sen. Sherrod Brown, a Democrat, which Cook Political Report rated a toss-up. The report said Brown criticized Husted for previous support for data center development, and that Husted said the issue should be left to communities and no longer supports tax incentives for new data center construction. It also said Senate Republicans' campaign arm warned AI labs that if Husted lost and data centers were blamed, politicians would avoid the next one. The report covered other races and ballot questions, including a California wealth tax fight, which are not covered here.