PRESENTED BY TRILLIONAIRE TEARS
Like the El-Niño tides and storms of our fossil-fueled seas and superheated skies, a wave of American anger at the inhuman Trump-Musk regime surged past all “expert” expectations at the midterms.
The Republican-dominated houses that collapsed into the ocean of Democratic data-and-detention-center discontent include both chambers of Congress; the governor’s mansions in Texas, Nevada, Iowa, Georgia, and Ohio; and state legislatures including the Michigan House, the Texas House, the Minnesota House, the Pennsylvania Senate, the Wisconsin House and Senate, the North Carolina House.
In local elections across the country, Americans voted overwhelmingly to restrict the buildout of data centers in their communities.
Late Tuesday evening, 33 ballot measures to restrict data centers were passed by voters or were leading in ongoing vote counts, according to the [AI-powered] tracking website Data Centers on the Ballot. Roughly a dozen similar measures were on the ballot in communities where vote totals had not yet been announced.
The measures included outright prohibitions, temporary moratoriums, limitations on energy use, mandating voter approval before construction and advisory measures urging local officials to restrict data centers.
Only one measure, in North Dakota, resulted in a victory for voters who supported the construction of data centers.
It will a disaster for our democracy if lame-duck Democrats help Trump and Musk ram the BAAJA data-and-detention-center-bulldozer through to passage this month, sacrificing our nation to keep the AI and ICE bubbles inflated.
A brief sampling of the anti-AI wave:
Gina Hinojosa, who ran an unabashedly progressive, pro-immigrant, anti-data-center campaign, defeated Greg Abbott to become the next governor of Texas.
Amy Acton, who ran an anti-corruption, anti-data-center campaign, defeated Vivek Ramaswamy to become the next governor of Ohio.
Keisha Lance Bottoms, who ran a pro-health, anti-data-center campaign, defeated Rick Jackson to become the next governor of Georgia.
J.D. “Definitely Not Vance” Ford, who ran an unabashedly progressive, anti-DOGE, anti-data-center campaign, defeated Rep. Victoria Spartz in the purportedly deep-red Indiana’s Fifth.
“We” Will Lawrence, who ran an unabashedly progressive, anti-war, anti-data-center campaign, overcame tens of millions of dollars of spending against him in both the primary and the general election to defeat Rep. Tom Barrett in Michigan’s Seventh.
As Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) said on October 20th:
Hill Heat will be back with more comprehensive coverage, but we wanted to alert readers to three climate-election debriefs today and two BAAJA briefings tomorrow.
Climate Action Today—Election Debriefs:
11 AM: GSCC Network
Presser on US Midterms: Impact on Climate Policy7 PM: Lead Locally
Climate on the Ballot: 2026 Lead Locally Election Debrief
Climate Action Tomorrow—BAAJA Briefings:
1 PM: Appalachian Voices
Community Call-In Action: Make your voice heard on Congress' new polluter giveaway4 PM: America the Beautiful for All
What the Senate Permitting Bill Means for Our Land, Water, Wildlife, and Communities
On Friday, activists in New York City are heading to the doorsteps of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to tell them: No Dirty Data Center Deal!
Add your voice today:
No Dirty Data Center Deal — Stop BAAJA
AI is greedy for energy, water, and land. The BAAJA “permit reform” bill will kill our protections. Tell Congress: No dirty data-center deal in the lame duck!
nodirtydatacenterdeal.com
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