Bangladesh, Sept. 12 -- Once celebrated as engines of economic growth, AI data centers are now emerging as a potent political liability for candidates across the United States.

Data centers were once the sort of economic-development project politicians proudly announced at press conferences. They promised billions of dollars in investment, construction jobs, technological innovation and a place in the emerging artificial-intelligence economy.

In the 2026 midterm election cycle, however, that political calculation has changed dramatically.

Across several closely contested Senate and gubernatorial races, candidates are discovering that their previous support for data centers-and especially tax breaks and other corporate incentives for t...