State and local Democrats target Donalds over data center platform
Democratic candidates criticized Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds over his position on Florida data center development during a Jacksonville news conference. David Jolly called for a one-year statewide moratorium, while Donalds said local governments should retain authority over data center approvals and pledged to protect ratepayers from energy costs.
Jacksonville City Councilmember Jimmy Peluso, state House candidate Audrey Gibson and Agriculture Commissioner candidate Joey Atkins accused Republican gubernatorial nominee Byron Donalds of supporting unchecked data center growth. Speaking near the St. Johns River, they raised concerns about potential environmental damage to waterways and criticized campaign contributions from data center developers.
Donalds has said Florida should become a leader in the data center industry but more recently promised to protect ratepayers from data center-related energy costs and preserve local control over development decisions. His Democratic opponent, David Jolly, proposed a one-year statewide moratorium to pause development while its impacts are evaluated. The debate comes as a University of North Florida poll found that 68% of Floridians oppose data centers in their communities.