Tech industry cash floods the most expensive per-capita Senate race in US history as rural towns reject new data centers.

Data center expansion has become one of Maine’s most volatile campaign issues days before voters head to the polls, with residents raising alarms about water use, utility costs, and promised jobs. An audience member confronted Sen. Susan Collins over the issue during her final debate, and she tied him to her Democratic challenger, Troy Jackson.

Maine drew national attention in April when the Legislature passed what would have been the first statewide moratorium on large data centers, and Gov. Janet Mills vetoed the bill 10 days later. Towns have since adopted temporary bans, and a September UMass Lowell and YouGov poll found 76 percent of Mainers oppose a data center in their community, with 58 percent strongly opposed.

Cheap land, vacant industrial mills, and abundant river water make Maine a prime target for developers, and the race is drawing record sums from tech companies and private equity firms tied to AI infrastructure. The Senate outcome will shape federal data center and AI policy well beyond the state’s borders, affecting siting and construction nationwide.

Democrats project $81 million in spending and Republicans $114 million, making the contest the most expensive Senate race per capita in US history. Watch town-level moratorium votes in November and how the winner votes on federal data center siting, water use, and power rules.

What matters

• Maine’s Legislature passed the first statewide data center moratorium in April, and the governor vetoed it.
• A September poll found 76 percent of Mainers oppose a data center in their own community.
• Watch town-level moratorium votes in November and whether the Senate winner reshapes federal AI policy.

Why it matters

Watch town-level moratorium votes in November and whether the Senate winner reshapes federal AI policy.

This GenAI News article was prepared in original wording using reporting and materials published by The Verge. Source reference: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1021080/maine-senate-race-susan-collins-ai-data-centers.

Drafted by the GenAI News review pipeline.