In a notable political upset that has captured national attention, Democrat John McAuliff secured a seat in Virginia's state legislature by centring his campaign on a hyper-local issue with widespread consequences: the soaring energy costs linked to data centres.
The 33-year-old small business owner and former civil servant defeated Republican Geary Higgins with 50.9% of the vote in the 30th district's house of delegates election earlier this month. This victory was part of a broader Democratic sweep that solidified the party's control over the southern state's government.
A Campaign Forged on Doorsteps
McAuliff's northern Virginia district, a mix of suburbs and farmland that had not elected a Democrat to the house of delegates for decades, required an unconventional approach. Campaigning on an electric scooter, he knocked on doors with a message focused on preserving a way of life, often repudiating the term "woke" and criticising the "chaos" emanating from Washington DC.
"Most of the year I spent knocking on the doors of folks we didn't think were Democrats – either independents or Republicans, and once in a while, a Democrat. And so they would start to shut the door in my face," McAuliff recounted.
However, the conversation shifted dramatically when he broached the subject of data centres. This single issue provided the crucial opening to engage with sceptical voters and draw a contrast with his opponent.
The Data Centre Dilemma
The heart of McAuliff's campaign tapped into a growing constituent anxiety. Loudoun county, which comprises half of the 30th district, hosts the world's largest concentration of data centres. These vast, warehouse-sized facilities, humming with servers, are vital to internet infrastructure but have become a source of local frustration.
Developers' plans to expand these facilities into Fauquier county, the more Republican-leaning half of the district, threatened the bucolic farmland it is known for. Yet, beyond aesthetic and noise concerns, McAuliff discovered a universal grievance: the impact on electricity bills.
A 2024 report from the Virginia General Assembly projected the state's energy demand will double within the next decade, largely driven by data centres. While these facilities are charged for their usage, the report concluded that all customers would likely face higher prices to cover the immense costs of new infrastructure required to power them.
"The infrastructure costs, those huge transmission lines, the power substations – all of the infrastructure that powers these massive, massive users – are being put on the backs of the ratepayer," McAuliff argued from his campaign office in Middleburg. He described the situation as an "artificial tax on everyday Virginians" benefiting tech giants like Amazon and Google.
Broader Implications for Democratic Strategy
While the campaign also emphasised codifying abortion access and increasing teacher pay, McAuliff deliberately focused on data centres as the "most salient issue we were dealing with that we could actually solve." His consultants were initially sceptical of the "niche" topic, but door-knocking confirmed it was a primary voter concern.
His campaign aggressively tied his opponent, former Loudoun county supervisor Geary Higgins, to the spread of data centres, even creating a website called "Data Center Geary." Higgins, who spent over $850,000 to McAuliff's nearly $3 million, denounced the attacks as inaccurate and claimed his "entire campaign was built on lies."
McAuliff's success in a conservative-leaning area has prompted Democratic leaders to see a potential blueprint for future campaigns. His ability to find common-ground issues that resonate across party lines proved decisive.
Democratic congressman Suhas Subramanyam, who represents the district, noted McAuliff "was able to find the issues that Republicans and Democrats agree on, and also present the argument that he would be the one to solve them."
Chaz Nuttycombe of State Navigate confirmed that McAuliff's margin indicates he swayed Republican-leaning voters, running ahead of other Democratic candidates in the area. This demonstrates that a relentless focus on local, pocketbook issues like energy affordability can transcend traditional political allegiances.
