Will Lawrence, a founder of Sunrise Movement and candidate for Congress in Michigan's 7th district, is leveraging anti-data-center sentiment to rally voters. Internal polls suggest that more than 40 percent of potential primary voters would prefer candidates opposing data centers. Younger voters are even more inclined: almost 80 percent support an anti-data-center stance.

Michigan has seen backlash against planned data centers in two townships, but developers have found ways around local opposition elsewhere in the state. Meanwhile, renewable energy projects face similar resistance. In 2025, over 60 local governments passed ordinances or moratoriums on wind and solar development, stalling at least 28 projects.

Lawrence's campaign highlights a broader issue: people feel disrespected by companies and officials who welcome data centers but ignore community concerns. He sees parallels with the resistance against renewable energy projects, citing local fears that these could threaten rural livelihoods.

The backlash is not just against tech giants; it extends to large-scale industrial projects in general. Michigan's governor Gretchen Whitmer’s presence at an Oracle data center opening has exacerbated tensions among potential voters. The state legislature’s 2023 law allowing renewable energy developers to bypass local ordinances has also sparked controversy.