Virginia Democrat wins state legislature seat by challenging datacenters

John McAuliff, a 33-year-old entrepreneur and former government employee, emerged as one of the most unexpected Democratic winners in Virginias recent legislative elections, despite running a campaign that occasionally resonated with Republican voters. McAuliff was one of 13 Democrats elected this month, a sweep that solidified the partys control over the state government. Combined with Democratic successes in states like New Jersey and California, the results provided a boost to the party nationwide after last years setbacks against Donald Trump and Republican candidates.

The district McAuliff contested, a mix of suburban neighborhoods, farmland, and small towns in northern Virginia, had not elected a Democrat in decades. To reach voters, he traveled door to door on an electric scooter, presenting himself as a candidate dedicated to preserving their way of life. He distanced himself from the term woke and criticized the perceived disorder emerging from Washington D.C., just over an hour away.

Central to McAuliffs campaign was a distinctive focus on the rising cost of electricity caused by local datacenters. Most of the year I spent visiting households of independents, Republicans, and occasional Democrats. Doors would often close on me, he explained. But when the topic of datacenters came up, it opened a conversation that allowed me to draw contrasts few other issues could.

Loudoun County, which accounts for half of the 30th legislative district and boasts the highest per capita income in the U.S., contains some of the densest datacenter operations in the world. These massive facilities are crucial for the internets infrastructure but are intrusive for local residents. Their size, noise, and looming presence over residential areas drew widespread concern. McAuliff noted that Fauquier County, the districts more Republican half, was similarly apprehensive about datacenters encroaching on its farmland. Residents consistently voiced worries over how these facilities drive up electricity costs.

A 2024 report from Virginias General Assembly predicted that state energy demand would double over the next decade, driven largely by datacenters and the need for new infrastructure. Although utility rate structures charge the facilities for usage, overall energy prices are expected to rise for all customers to fund these projects. Virginia regulators recently approved a partial rate increase to accommodate this growing demand.

McAuliff emphasized that the costs of transmission lines, substations, and other energy infrastructure ultimately fall on everyday Virginians while major corporations like Amazon and Google benefit. He argued that the state should capture more value from these companies given their financial capacity.

In the election, McAuliff faced Republican Geary Higgins, who was elected in 2023. McAuliff spent nearly $3 million on his campaign, compared with Higgins $850,000. While the campaign highlighted broader issues such as reproductive rights and teacher pay, McAuliff prioritized datacenters as the most immediate, solvable issue for his constituents. His team even created a website linking Higgins to the expansion of datacenters, which the Republican candidate denounced as false. The race concluded with McAuliff narrowly winning 50.9% to 49%.

Higgins criticized McAuliff, stating that his campaign relied on lies and an exaggerated portrayal of his record. Despite last years nationwide Democratic losses in rural and exurban regions, McAuliffs success has prompted party leaders to examine his approach for lessons. Democratic Congressman Suhas Subramanyam praised McAuliff for addressing issues that resonated with both Republican and Democratic voters in a traditionally conservative district.

Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin lauded McAuliff as a remarkable candidate who focused directly on the issues that mattered locally, highlighting that targeted, issue-driven campaigns could enable Democrats to succeed even in exurban and rural areas. Observers noted that McAuliffs narrow victory indicates he swayed some Republican-leaning voters to his side, setting an example for future campaigns.

Author: Sophia Brooks