Fact check: James’ link to data center tax breaks, donations
This article fact-checks claims made in the Michigan gubernatorial race regarding Republican candidate John James's ties to data center tax breaks and donations. It confirms that James received campaign donations from individuals linked to data center developers and voted for a federal bill that included broad corporate tax write-offs benefiting data centers. Both James and Democratic candidate Jocelyn Benson have proposed moratoriums on new data center development in Michigan.
The Michigan gubernatorial race between Democrat Jocelyn Benson and Republican John James features controversy surrounding data centers. New online ads from Making Michigan’s Future, a group supporting Benson, allege James voted for $70 billion in data center tax breaks as a US House member and received over $100,000 in donations from data center developers.
Bridge Michigan fact-checked these claims, finding the donation figure largely true, though accumulated across multiple election cycles. The $70 billion tax break claim is less straightforward; James voted for President Donald Trump’s "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," which expanded corporate tax write-offs applicable to companies building data centers, including major tech firms. While these tax breaks are not exclusive to data centers, a spokesperson for Making Michigan’s Future cited analyses suggesting their importance to the sector.
James also voted for an earlier House version of the bill that would have barred state and local jurisdictions from regulating data centers, though he has since stated support for a moratorium on new data centers until regulations are established, citing concerns about local control, utility rates, water, air, land, noise pollution, and preserving farmland. Benson has also proposed a moratorium. Many of the donations to James came from members of the Rakolta family, founders of Walbridge, a Detroit-based construction company involved in building a hyperscale data center facility in Saline.