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Data Centers Trigger Voter Backlash as Utah Senate President Ousted Over AI Mega-Project
Utah's longest-serving Senate President and Box Elder County officials lose their primaries after fast-tracking a data center near the Great Salt Lake, as AI infrastructure reshapes local politics nationwide.
Voter anger over massive data center projects is reshaping U.S. politics. Utah State Senate President J. Stuart Adams — one of the state's most powerful Republicans — lost his primary after supporting a sprawling data center campus near the Great Salt Lake.
"Do I think that the data center vote cost me the election? Yes I do," former Box Elder County Commissioner Lee Perry said after conceding his primary race. Multiple county officials tied to the proposal were also unseated.
A Deseret News/Hinckley Institute poll found opposition to the Stratos Project rose from 53% to 60% in June, with Republican opposition jumping from 36% to 49%. Only 26% of voters now support the development, which is backed by investor Kevin O'Leary.
The Utah upheaval fits a growing national trend as voters in New York, Virginia, and other states increasingly make data centers the focus of their anxiety over AI's resource demands.
Sources: Newsweek, Deseret News
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