Northern Virginia

Democratic candidate David Jolly and Republican Rep. Byron Donalds outlined contrasting positions ahead of Florida's gubernatorial election. Jolly said he would impose a moratorium on hyperscale data centers on his first day in office, citing health and environmental concerns and polling showing broad voter opposition. Donalds countered that siting decisions belong to local governments under existing law, pledging to guard against utility rate hikes and protect water supplies. On AI, Jolly called for guardrails around job displacement and classroom use, while Donalds argued the technology is already too widespread to regulate away and pointed to space-industry growth as an economic opportunity.

The candidates also diverged on Amendment 3, the property tax relief measure on next month's ballot. Jolly said he plans to vote no, warning it would strip funding from law enforcement, and favors targeted relief such as a homestead exemption for first-time buyers. Donalds backs the amendment, arguing property taxes have surged and that public safety funding is protected. Both campaigns have intensified outreach to Black voters in the closing weeks: Donalds unveiled a coalition of Black leaders and faced pointed questions from students during a visit to Florida A&M University, while Jolly has accused him of pursuing an "anti-Black agenda," citing past votes and remarks. A Donalds win would make him Florida's first Black governor; a Jolly win would end a decades-long Democratic drought in the governor's mansion.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee David Jolly traveled to northern Virginia's "Data Center Alley" this week, using the region's dense cluster of hyperscale data centers to argue against unchecked data center expansion in Florida. The former Republican congressman has made the issue central to his bid to become Florida's first Democratic governor in more than three decades, with the race remaining tightly contested roughly seven weeks before the midterms.

Jolly described visiting a family living near the facilities as a "sensory experience," citing noise and visual obstruction caused by the massive structures. His trip is meant to show Florida voters a preview of what could come if hyperscale data center development continues unchecked, tying the issue to broader national anxieties over artificial intelligence's infrastructure demands.

The visit underscores how data centers, once a niche zoning issue, have become a wedge topic in state political campaigns, reflecting growing public concern over the environmental and community impacts of AI-driven infrastructure buildouts nationwide.