Independent candidate closes in on Republican Senate incumbent as dark money spending surges
The Pennsylvania Senate race in the 46th District includes independent candidate Jodi Borello, who is campaigning against data center development and criticizing incumbent Sen. Camera Bartolotta’s support for industry tax breaks and faster permitting. Dark money groups are spending on ads attacking Bartolotta’s data center record, while the candidates remain closely matched in polling.
An unusually competitive Pennsylvania Senate race in the 46th District pits Republican incumbent Camera Bartolotta against independent candidate Jodi Borello, a former Republican and environmental organizer. Borello has made opposition to data centers and large corporations central to her economic-populist campaign, and a poll commissioned by State Navigate found the candidates tied, with 14% of voters undecided.
Coalfield Justice Action has spent at least $10,500 on digital advertising criticizing Bartolotta’s support for data center development, warning of higher utility bills, falling property values and land damage. Bartolotta supported a 2021 state tax break for data centers and sponsored accelerated permitting legislation, but now says the industry has changed because of the emergence of large AI and cryptocurrency facilities. A separate dark money group, Independent Candidate Action, is also buying ads in the race, while Borello’s campaign denies coordinating with outside groups.