CINCINNATI (WKRC) — We are less than a month away from the midterm elections, and early voting gets underway in parts of the Tri-State this week.

WKRC

Eyes are on two big races in Ohio: governor and a seat in the United States Senate. Candidates in each race have varying opinions on hot-button issues, like data centers.

Republican Jon Husted, who was appointed to J.D. Vance’s seat in 2025, says it’s a local, not federal, issue.

“That should be up to the local folks to determine if they want the good deal that may create jobs for them, may create revenue that would help build schools or lower their property taxes or help them get access to free electricity or low-cost electricity; all of those decisions should be made at the local level,” said Husted.

Husted adds that data centers should pay for their own electricity and for the infrastructure to deliver that electricity. His opponent, former U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, is opposed to tech companies rolling over rights in local communities.

“These data companies — it will raise people’s electric rates, and they had no say on it … so I just think that this country, people think the system’s even more rigged than it was a year or two ago,” said Brown.

With Gov. Mike DeWine term-limited, two new candidates are vying for Ohio governor. Republican Vivek Ramaswamy makes it clear where he stands on data centers:

“If they’re going to be built, they have to benefit local communities, and if they don’t, they should not be allowed to be built in Ohio, period, full stop. And I’m drawing a hard line on that. The reason I’m drawing a hard line is, I think, the data centers have done a very poor job of earning the trust of Ohioans. I think we need a governor at the top who’s going to fix that,” he said.

Democrat Dr. Amy Acton supports a conditional moratorium on data centers.

“These companies need to bring their own energy, but they’re coming in in the dark of night. This goes back to home rule again — that folks have no idea, and they should know what is coming into their community and have a say in it. The other thing is it’s affecting our water and our air, and I’m a big proponent in making sure we have an incredible state,” said Acton.

Monday is the last day to register to vote in Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky. Early in-person voting in Ohio and Indiana begins on Tuesday, but not until Oct. 29 in Kentucky. Tuesday, Nov. 3 is Election Day everywhere.