Ohio’s U.S. Senate candidates recalibrate their stances on data centers
Ohio's U.S. Senate candidates, Democrat Sherrod Brown and Republican Jon Husted, are adjusting their positions on data center development amidst political attacks. Brown criticizes Husted for past tax subsidies benefiting data centers, while Husted, once a supporter, now believes statewide tax breaks should end and that data centers have mishandled public perception. Both acknowledge the role of local government in data center decisions.
The race for the U.S. Senate in Ohio features Democratic nominee Sherrod Brown and GOP nominee Jon Husted recalibrating their stances on data center projects, a topic that was previously noncontroversial.
Brown has launched attack ads criticizing Husted for praising data center developments and pushing for $2.5 billion in state tax subsidies, portraying Husted as the 'point man' for data centers in Ohio. This comes despite Brown himself having celebrated Amazon Web Services' investments in central Ohio a decade ago. Democrats have generally been hesitant to criticize the industry due to its creation of short-term, often unionized, construction jobs.
Husted, who previously advocated for a big sales and use tax break for new data center construction statewide, now states that these breaks should no longer be awarded. He attributes a 'backlash' against data centers to their failure to effectively communicate their benefits, such as local jobs, construction worker jobs, and reduced property taxes, as well as their lack of offers to cover energy bills for local communities where they build power plants. While Husted believes state and local governments have a role in regulating data centers, he argues the federal government should not interfere, emphasizing that local residents should make decisions.