Red counties with data center projects swung away from GOP in midterms, analysis finds

What happened: A Humans First analysis of 1,540 counties in 16 states found counties hosting large data centers shifted further toward Democrats in the midterms than comparable counties without such projects. Key numbers: 2.2 percentage point additional shift toward Democrats in host counties; 2.1 point raw gap in deep-red counties; 1.1 point gap for proposed projects after controls; Why it matters: The group describes a "data center penalty" and cautions the findings show association, not causation, while noting county results cannot show whether Republicans switched votes or stayed home.

A Humans First analysis of 1,540 counties in 16 states found counties hosting large data centers shifted further toward Democrats in the midterms than comparable counties without such projects.

The group describes a "data center penalty" and cautions the findings show association, not causation, while noting county results cannot show whether Republicans switched votes or stayed home.