The contest in Ohio between incumbent Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio) and former Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) is a key example of how the increasingly controversial issue is playing a role in this cycle’s politics, and both sides think it could be decisive.
How the Ohio race turns out could be a bellwether for data center politics nationwide.
Husted is running for a full term after being appointed in 2025 to serve out the remainder of now-Vice President Vance’s Senate term. Brown, a longtime senator who lost his own seat in 2024, is looking for a comeback.
It’s a highly sought prize for both parties — and essential to winning the majority.
One recent Fox News survey had Brown at 53 percent to Husted’s 45 percent. Election analysts have rated the Ohio Senate contest as a toss-up.
Building on that momentum, Brown’s campaign has begun hitting Husted with messaging targeting his record on data centers.
Three ads so far have highlighted Husted’s support of tax breaks for data center developers while he was lieutenant governor from 2019 to 2025.
“Jon Husted led the charge, he was the point man to bring these data centers to Ohio,” Brown said at a campaign rally in July. “He delivered billions of dollars in sweetheart tax deals. Ohioans now pay thousands more on their utility bills. It’s exactly what people hate about politics.”
Husted’s campaign points to his support for efforts to make data center developers carry their share of the utility costs. He introduced a bill last month that would establish a federal standard for requiring developers to cover costs and return unused power.
The Hill's Helen Huiskes has more here.
