Maine Senate Race Hinges on Data‑Center Debate

During the final debate of the 2024 midterm election, Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins faced a protest over AI data‑center expansion, a hot issue that has dominated the state’s politics. In April, the Legislature passed the nation’s first statewide moratorium on large data centers, but Gov. Janet Mills vetoed it 10 days later. Since then, towns across Maine have enacted temporary bans or put the question to voters. A September UMass Lowell/YouGov poll found 76 % of Mainers oppose building a data center in their community, with 58 % strongly opposed. The Senate race is projected to be the most expensive per‑capita campaign in U.S. history, with Democrats spending $81 million and Republicans $114 million—much of the money coming from the very industry Mainers are fighting against. The outcome will determine Senate control and shape federal data‑center and AI policy, affecting not only Maine but the entire country, as rural states with cheap land and abundant water become prime targets for new facilities.