Data Center and AI Backlash Emerges as a Major Election Issue
The article argues that opposition to data centers, Flock Safety cameras and artificial intelligence is becoming a significant election issue. A poll of voters in Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District found that about seven in 10 opposed building a data center in their community, while Texas Gov. Greg Abbott issued an executive order creating a temporary construction moratorium.
The Arkansas Times reports that public backlash against data centers has broadened into a wider political reaction against artificial intelligence and related surveillance technology. In a Talk Business & Politics-Hendrix College survey of Arkansas' 2nd Congressional District, roughly seven in 10 respondents opposed construction of a nearby AI-focused data center. The issue was unfolding as the Pulaski County Quorum Court debated data center regulation.
The article says opposition is crossing party and demographic lines and is influencing candidates and elected officials. It also describes the removal of Flock Safety cameras and cancellation of a related contract in Mayflower, while noting that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott responded to data center criticism by ordering a moratorium on construction until after Election Day. The author presents data centers and AI regulation as increasingly important issues in the 2026 and 2028 elections.