Maine’s data center revolt will decide who controls the Senate

Maine Sen. Susan Collins, a Republican, was midway through defending her record during the final debate of the midterms when an audience member cut her short.

“I’m terrified,” a man shouted. “AI data centers are destroying our climate. They are poisoning our water.” Collins brushed off the outburst, tying the man to her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson. But the fear echoing through the auditorium wasn’t so easily dismissed. Just days before voters head to the polls, the rapid expansion of resource-hungry data centers has exploded into one of Maine’s most volatile campaign issues.

Maine drew national headlines in April when the state Legislature passed what would have been the nation’s first statewide moratorium on large data centers — had Gov. Janet Mills not vetoed the bill 10 days later. But the fight hasn’t slowed down, with towns across the state adopting temporary moratoriums or putting the question of data center expansion to voters this November. In a September poll of Mainers by UMass Lowell and YouGov , 76 percent of respondents said they oppose building a data center in their community, with 58 percent strongly opposed.

Super PACs like the Republican Senate Leadership Fund dumped nearly $42 million into ads across Maine. Elon Musk gave $158 million to the Senate Leadership Fund this summer , and has spent around $450 million of his own money to support Republicans in the midterms . Musk’s America PAC has spent around $2.1 million in Maine . Pine Tree Results PAC, to which Collins and her husband have personal ties, put $29.1 million into the race to support her. Stephen Schwarzman from Blackstone has donated $2 million this year to Pine Tree Results.

The campaign and PAC money appears to flow in support of just one candidate, too. Collins’ opponent Troy Jackson only recently filed his FEC paperwork, which shows no obvious data center, AI, or Big Tech ties, though it does show at least four billionaire donors . However, Jackson’s stance is similar to Collins’, and he focuses largely on putting guardrails in place for AI and data center development. He has said he wants to ensure union jobs for the buildout and maintenance of data centers in the state.

According to a recent Maine Monitor report, as of mid-October, $54 million has been spent or committed for negative attack ads, and nearly all of it is coming from outside PACs financed by Big Tech and data center supporters, not the candidates’ campaigns. While no ads have focused specifically on Collins’ support for data centers and AI, some have targeted her ties to Big Tech, billionaires, and data centers through her husband. The National Republican Senatorial Committee tried to tie Troy Jackson to Senate Democrats’ opposition to the Husted legislation in September in a press release.

Maine’s hotly contested Senate race is set to be the most expensive Senate race per capita that the US has ever seen, with Democrats spending a projected $81 million and Republicans $114 million . Much of that campaign cash has come from the very industry Mainers and rural voters across the country have been fighting for more than a year. The outcome of the race will help determine which party controls the Senate and help shape federal data center and AI policy, impacting data center construction not just for Maine residents, but for the entire country.

Maine and other rural states are becoming prime targets for new data centers. While cities run short on land and power, Maine has abundant cheap land, vacant industrial mills and buildings, and ample access to water, thanks to its numerous rivers and waterways. Recognizing the high stakes, major tech companies and private equity firms tied to data centers and AI have invested millions in the midterms to win over skeptical locals.

The issue has sparked fierce local debate, leading towns and cities across the state to enact temporary bans this summer.