Data center leaders donate to Haaland even as she supports data center pause

Individuals linked to tech giant Oracle and data center construction firm Clayco have contributed approximately $75,000 to New Mexico gubernatorial candidate Deb Haaland's campaign, according to recent campaign finance filings. This comes despite Haaland's public criticism of the data center industry and her support for a moratorium on new data center development.

Haaland, a Democratic nominee, has stated concerns about the lack of transparency in data center projects and their impact on water, air, and land, specifically referencing the massive Project Jupiter in Doña Ana County. Project Jupiter, intended to host AI infrastructure for companies like Oracle and OpenAI, has already generated protests and lawsuits. Haaland's spokesperson confirmed her stance, stating she supports a moratorium "until we have strong, reliable guardrails in law and in practice."

Oracle, which contributed $12,400 to Haaland's campaign, defended its donations as part of its participation in the political process, emphasizing open dialogue with New Mexico's leaders. Clayco, a partner with Oracle and STACK Infrastructure on Project Jupiter, saw several executives donate $10,000 each. Meanwhile, Haaland's Republican opponent, Gregg Hull, who has expressed a friendlier stance towards the industry but called for more regulation, did not receive donations from these individuals.

Activists have voiced skepticism about Haaland's ability to hold the data center industry accountable while accepting their contributions, with one group questioning the sincerity of her moratorium proposal. Haaland plans to release a "data center accountability plan" to further detail her proposals.