In Ohio, Crypto Revenge Spending Runs Into a Data Center Backlash
The article examines how Ohio’s data center expansion has become a central issue in the U.S. Senate race between Sherrod Brown and Jon Husted. Brown is criticizing Meta’s data center construction and Husted’s support for tax incentives, while crypto-aligned political groups are spending more than $55 million to defeat Brown.
Data center development has emerged as a major political issue in Ohio’s U.S. Senate race, with former Sen. Sherrod Brown using concerns about rising electric bills, tax breaks and local infrastructure to attack Republican Sen. Jon Husted. Brown pointed to Meta’s 280-acre data center project near Toledo, where residents have pushed back against the development.
Crypto industry groups, including Fairshake and Defend American Jobs, have committed more than $55 million to oppose Brown, while other crypto-linked donors have brought total spending against him above $62 million. The article says Brown has tied that spending to Husted’s record of supporting data center incentives. Husted sponsored the Ratepayer Protection Act, which would have required utility regulators to consider rules making data center companies pay for added electricity demand, but the measure was rejected by Senate Democrats.