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Anti-AI populism is the future of American politics | Garrison Lovely

Evidence type
Commentary, opinion, or narrative review
Sources
1 sourceJournalism
Published
2 min read
Truvace record
TRV-2026-2475cite or check it

The AI industry had a bad night last week. The Democrats’ sweeping midterms victory is a rebuke of Donald Trump, the industry’s most powerful champion. Almost everywhere they could, voters rejected datacenters: moratoriums and other restrictions passed in more than 30 localities across nine states. And, with wins in places such as Texas, Ohio and Georgia, an estimated 41% of planned datacenter capacity is in states with governors-elect backing moratoriums. To be sure, the election results were not primarily abou…

Anti-AI populism is the future of American politics | Garrison Lovely

The problem

A columnist says voters passed datacenter moratoriums or restrictions in more than 30 localities across nine states, and an estimated 41% of planned datacenter capacity sits in states with governors-elect backing moratoriums.

In brief

In a Guardian opinion column, Garrison Lovely says the Democrats' midterm victory was bad news for the AI industry. Voters passed datacenter moratoriums and other restrictions in more than 30 localities across nine states, and an estimated 41% of planned datacenter capacity is in states with governors-elect who back moratoriums.

Lovely cites NBC exit polls in which 23% of voters named AI and datacenters as a deciding factor, and Democrats won those voters 67% to 30%. When NBC asked which party would be better on AI, 30% named Democrats, 27% named Republicans and 43% said neither.

He argues AI will become a defining fight of the 2028 cycle and that a party that runs against the industry's leaders stands to gain. This is his forecast and opinion, not a measured result. He also concedes the election was not primarily about AI.

Main points

  1. More than 130 federal and gubernatorial races mentioned tech accountability or AI in ads, against only two Democratic-aligned ads mentioning big tech between 2020 and 2024.
  2. The main AI industry Super Pac spent heavily in one competitive race, and Democrat Annie Andrews won it in South Carolina on a platform of protecting kids, not big tech.
  3. Elon Musk spent nearly half a billion dollars, and Republicans lost all five Senate races where he spent the most.
  4. Democrats Greg Casar and Bernie Sanders co-sponsored a bill to pause AI development until a federal cabinet-level agency exists and to ban artificial super-intelligence outright.
  5. Lovely proposes banning surveillance pricing and bossware, making unionizing easier and imposing strict liability on AI developers.

The full story

Lovely says Trump took a let-it-rip approach to AI and that almost every House Republican voted for a provision in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act to override state AI regulation with no federal replacement. He says Senate Republicans stripped it. He treats these moves as political liabilities for Republicans.

On the Democratic side, he names Casar, Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed, who called for a full-on pause on frontier AI development, and Maine senator-elect Troy Jackson as candidates making AI a top issue. He adds that Republicans such as Missouri's Josh Hawley have drafted AI-regulation bills.

He argues Democrats could use subpoena power in congressional hearings to compel AI companies to share non-public information. He also wants legislation to strengthen wage theft claims for workers whose output trains AI models that lead to layoffs or reduced hours.

Talk it overFour questions for a class, a team or the dinner table

  1. Who carries this cost, and what would have to change to prevent it?

    The problem A columnist says voters passed datacenter moratoriums or restrictions in more than 30 localities across nine states, and an estimated 41% of planned datacenter capacity sits in states with governors-elect backing moratoriums.

  2. How do we know? What can this kind of evidence show, and what can’t it?

    The evidence This rests on commentary or opinion, from The Guardian.

  3. What does it leave open? What else would you want to know before acting on it?

    The record’s own caveat The columnist says the election results were not primarily about AI; corruption, cost of living, Iran and immigration ranked as more important to voters in NBC exit polls.

  4. Have you seen AI used this way where you study, work or live? Did it go the same way?

The questions are the same on every record. The details under them are taken from this record as written.

Sources

1 on file
  1. The Guardiantheguardian.com
    Journalism2026-11-09

The debate

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