How Data Center Politics Are Rewriting The 3rd District Playbook
Anti-data center sentiment is significantly impacting the hotly contested election in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District. Both Republican Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Rebecca Cooke are being targeted by campaigns connecting them to pro-data center policies or contributions. Voters in the district previously succeeded in blocking a proposed data center development in Menomonie.
The political landscape in Wisconsin's 3rd Congressional District is being reshaped by voter opposition to data center development, becoming a central theme in the race between Republican U.S. Rep. Derrick Van Orden and Democrat Rebecca Cooke. Both candidates and their supporting political action committees are attempting to link their opponents to policies favorable to the data center industry.
Van Orden's campaign has highlighted Cooke's past work with organizations like the Wisconsin Technology Council and the think tank Third Way, both of which have previously supported data center projects. Conversely, Cooke's campaign, alongside the Democratic-aligned House Majority PAC, has launched ads criticizing Van Orden. These ads point to his acceptance of campaign contributions from entities associated with the data center industry and his vote for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which included tax breaks utilized by data center developers.
The House Majority PAC has notably dubbed Van Orden as 'Data Center Derrick' in their advertisements, underscoring the political risk associated with data center affiliations for candidates. This reflects a broader trend, as seen in Wisconsin's gubernatorial race where Republican Tom Tiffany criticized 'Data Center David' Crowley for his pro-data center statements. The significant influence of this sentiment is rooted in the district's vocal electorate, who successfully prevented a data center project from being built in Menomonie last year.