Build American AI, backed by the super PAC Leading the Future, is launching a multimillion-dollar advertising campaign in Kansas, Ohio and Wisconsin to defend data center construction, according to Bloomberg. The super PAC's funders include venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, as well as OpenAI President Greg Brockman.
Public opposition to data centers has grown significantly. Annenberg Public Policy Center polling of 1,320 U.S. adults conducted between June 16 and July 19 found that 61% opposed new data centers in their area, up from 49% in a February and March survey. Opposition crossed partisan lines, with majorities of Democrats (69%), Republicans (54%) and independents (53%) expressing concern.
The advertising effort comes as data center opposition has become a central issue in several statewide political races. In Ohio, Democratic Senate candidate Sherrod Brown has made the issue a focal point of his campaign against Republican Senator Jon Husted. The National Republican Senatorial Committee has warned AI companies that the opposition is becoming politically toxic.
Data center opposition has already slowed projects nationwide. New York has imposed a moratorium on hyperscale data centers, Texas has paused approvals, and cities including Austin and Jersey City have implemented bans. Data Center Watch reported that 75 projects worth approximately $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026, a pattern lenders have begun pricing as credit risk.
Bitcoin miners, some of whom are pivoting into AI infrastructure, have faced similar community pushback. Nine residents of Granbury, Texas sued MARA Holdings in May over noise from its mining site, alleging insomnia, headaches and tinnitus. Bitcoin miners hold interconnection rights that take years to obtain and are increasingly leasing them to AI companies instead of using them for cryptocurrency mining.
