CLEVELAND — Every once in a while, a new issue emerges in an election that transcends political boundaries, resonating not with the left or right but across the political spectrum, and in 2026, the debate over data centers has emerged as one of them.
Democratic challenger Sherrod Brown has painted Senator Jon Husted as "the face of data centers" for his role during his time as the state's lieutenant governor in bringing them to the state.
"Ohio taxpayers, all of us, are paying $2.5 billion, giving it to these billionaire data center people," Brown told News 5. "They come into this state with these tax breaks; they come into communities, people don't know who they are at first. There are now 225 centers in Ohio, gobbling up the land, gulping up the water and then after they're done are electric rates go up. Jon Husted more than anybody else the face of that."
"That's why these data center billionaires in this crypto crowd has come to Ohio," Brown said. "They've already put $44 million against me in this race because they know I'll hold them accountable."
Husted had previously taken issue with Brown's assertions.
"Sherrod Brown is such a hypocrite," Husted said. "He used to want to take credit for data centers coming to Ohio. He used to send out news releases when he was a senator talking about all he'd done to help bring data centers to Ohio."
"I supported one, I think in 2015, 2016," Brown responded. "There was no big tax subsidies. The local communities knew about it."
Husted pointed to his efforts in the Senate to strengthen regulations around data centers.
"I'm the only one in this race who's actually fighting to hold data centers accountable. Sherrod Brown is trying to undermine that," he said. "I sponsored the Ratepayer Protection Act, which requires data centers to build their own electricity infrastructure so that none of that cost is passed on to ratepayers. The Democrats have literally blocked my bill because they want to talk about affordability they don't want to do anything about affordability."
Where there is agreement moving forward is on community involvement.
"My position now is take away the tax subsidies, let local communities work with them, get their input; if they don't want them, they shouldn't be there and never should our ratepayers, our electric ratepayers, pay for their electricity and that's really pretty clear," Brown said.
Husted as well argued for local control.
"I want it to be a local decision. I don't want the federal government telling local communities whether they can or can't have a data center, a steel plant or an auto plant," he said. "It's up to the local community to decide those things."
